04/24/2003 01:31 PM Senate L&C

                                                                                                                                
                 SB 180-SAFETY CODE TASK FORCE                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR CON  BUNDE called  the Senate  Labor and  Commerce Standing                                                             
Committee meeting  to order  at 1:31  p.m. Present  were SENATORS                                                               
DAVIS, SEEKINS and FRENCH.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
MR. ZACH  WARWICK, staff  to Senator  Therriault, said  they like                                                               
the  committee  substitute  (CS)  and noted  a  fiscal  note  was                                                               
submitted to fund travel to meetings.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR DAVIS  moved to  adopt CSSB 180(L&C),  Version D,  as the                                                               
working document. There were no objections and it was adopted.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
MR. DAVID OWENS, Owens Inspection  Services, supported SB 180. He                                                               
recommended  adding a  certified building  inspector to  the task                                                               
force.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  BUNDE  thanked him  for  his  support  and said  he  would                                                               
forward his suggestion to the bill's sponsor.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MR. JAMES  BAISDEN, Kenai Fire  Marshall, opposed SB  180 because                                                               
there is no building or fire  code official as a voting member of                                                               
the task force.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR BUNDE  asked Mr. Warwick if  the fire marshall would  be on                                                               
the advisory committee.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
MR.  WARWICK replied  the Fire  Marshall  would. He  noted he  is                                                               
compiling a list of  all of the members who were  hoping to be on                                                               
the advisory panel for the Senate Finance Committee.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR STEVENS arrived at 1:37 p.m.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
MR.  STEVE   SHUTTLEWORTH,  Fairbanks  building   official,  said                                                               
Fairbanks  concurs with  the purpose  and spirit  of SB  180, but                                                               
believes that  municipal participation should be  included on the                                                               
task force,  and that a member  of the fire department  should be                                                               
there as well. He commented:                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
     If the  task force  is to  reach an  equitable solution                                                                    
     and   provide  a   meaningful  recommendation   to  the                                                                    
     Legislature,  it  is  essential  that  personnel  would                                                                    
     provide   daily  plan   review   and  inspections   for                                                                    
     municipal   code   compliance   and  be   provided   an                                                                    
     opportunity to  engage in  the important  decisions. To                                                                    
     do  otherwise  would  exclude  valuable  expertise  and                                                                    
     insight.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
     We also request that any  appointment to the task force                                                                    
     not result in duplicate representation.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  BUNDE asked  if  the bill's  sponsor  wanted to  entertain                                                               
amendments in this  committee or whether it will  be difficult to                                                               
accommodate everyone who wants to be on the task force.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
MR.  WARWICK  replied  that  it  is  going  to  be  difficult  to                                                               
accommodate  everyone,  but  Senator Therriault  would  entertain                                                               
amendments at  another level. He  cautioned that unless  the bill                                                               
starts  moving, the  task  force, which  is  required to  provide                                                               
recommendations  at  the start  of  the  next session,  would  be                                                               
useless.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  SEEKINS moved  to pass  CSSB 180(L&C),  Version D,  from                                                               
committee  with  individual   recommendations  and  the  attached                                                               
fiscal note.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
The roll was taken. SENATORS  STEVENS, DAVIS, FRENCH, SEEKINS and                                                               
BUNDE voted yea and CSSB 180(L&C) passed from committee.