03/25/2014 08:00 AM House STATE AFFAIRS

             SB 132-MOTOR VEHICLE REGISTRATION FEES                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
8:05:44 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR LYNN announced that the first  order of business was CS FOR                                                               
SENATE BILL  NO. 132(STA),  "An Act  relating to  exemptions from                                                               
the payment of  motor vehicle registration fees  for residents 65                                                               
years of age or older; and providing for an effective date."                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
8:05:57 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  ANNA  FAIRCLOUGH,  Alaska State  Legislature,  as  prime                                                               
sponsor,  introduced  SB  132.   She  stated  that  the  proposed                                                               
legislation  would  amend  AS   28.10.411(f),  which  offers  one                                                               
exemption from a  vehicle registration fee for a  resident who is                                                               
65 on  January 1 [of  the year the  vehicle is registered].   She                                                               
explained that  under current law,  a person who turns  65 [later                                                               
in the year]  and tries to take advantage of  the exemption would                                                               
be denied, thus not receiving  the same benefit as his/her peers.                                                               
Senator  Fairclough stated  that  because the  Division of  Motor                                                               
Vehicles  (DMV) operates  using a  biennial vehicle  registration                                                               
schedule,  people could  be  67 before  they  actually receive  a                                                               
benefit that they  should have been eligible for at  age 65.  She                                                               
said  the  proposed  legislation  would clean  up  an  unintended                                                               
consequence of a  previous legislature's choice of  the January 1                                                               
date.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
8:07:32 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE ISAACSON  thanked the bill sponsor,  and he opined                                                               
that SB 132 would satisfy the intention of the law.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
8:07:56 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR LYNN  noted that he  had had an  exemption for one  car for                                                               
several years.  He opined that SB 132 was a good bill.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
8:08:51 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  KELLER  commented  that not  having  the  ability                                                               
proposed in SB 132 puts the DMV in a tough spot.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
8:08:58 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  KELLER  moved  to  report CSSB  132(STA)  out  of                                                               
committee  with individual  recommendations and  the accompanying                                                               
fiscal  notes.   There  being  no  objection, CSSB  132(STA)  was                                                               
reported out of the House State Affairs Standing Committee.