Legislature(2023 - 2024)BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)
04/03/2024 01:30 PM Senate LABOR & COMMERCE
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| SB204 | |
| SB44 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| += | SB 204 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | SB 44 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
SB 204-CERT. OF FITNESS: PLUMBERS/ELECTRICIANS
1:34:41 PM
CHAIR BJORKMAN announced the consideration of SENATE BILL NO.
204 "An Act relating to the issuance of certificates of fitness
for plumbers and electricians; relating to fees for certificates
of fitness for plumbers and electricians; and providing for an
effective date."
1:35:15 PM
KIM KOLVIG, Legislative Liaison, Department of Labor and
Workforce Development (DOLWD), Juneau, Alaska, read a prepared
summary of SB 204.
[Original punctuation provided.]
Hearing for HB 290 & SB 204
Certificate of Fitness (COF)
Opening Remarks
An act relating to the issuance of certificates of
fitness for plumbers and electricians; relating to
fees for certificates of fitness for plumbers and
electricians; and providing for an effective date.
Thank you, Chair Bjorkman and members of the
committee.
Legislation changes:
• The legislation before you changes the trainee level
certificates of fitness for plumbers and
electricians from two years to six years.
o Currently, if a trainee fails to renew their COF,
those hours worked during that lapse will not be
counted.
o The training period is typically accomplished in
4 years.
• Increases the fee for issuance of journeyman level
certificates or renewal certificates from $200 to
$300.
o The journeyman two-year certificate cost has been
in effect since 2006.
o The fee increase will partially cover the loss in
revenue created by the changes to the training
level certificate.
• The elimination of the requirement for trainees to
apply for and pay for renewals during their training
period will expedite the apprenticeship procedure
overall.
• And will avoid the difficult situation of having to
reject training hours because a certificate of
fitness is not valid.
• With me today is the Chief of our Mechanical
Inspection Unit, Mr. Scott Damerow, to give a
presentation of the Certificate of Fitness (COF)
process.
1:37:32 PM
CHAIR BJORKMAN opened public testimony on SB 204; finding none,
he closed public testimony.
1:38:03 PM
SCOTT DAMEROW, Chief of Mechanical Inspection, Labor Standards
and Safety, Department of Labor and Workforce Development
(DOLWD), Anchorage, Alaska, said the fiscal notes primarily will
result in a decrease of approximately $58,000 in revenue due to
the non-renewal of Certificates [of Fitness] (COF) at the
training level, based on a five-year survey. Assuming COF
renewal continues at the expected rate, he said DOLWD would lose
money and the COF program would be unsustainable. SB 204
includes an increase in fees that would make up for the past
seventeen years with no increase in COF application fees and for
the decrease in trainee licensing. It would also bring [the COF
program budget] more in line with inflationary changes and allow
normal business. He said the estimated revenue increase of
$164,000 would result in $105,000 annual expenditure increase.
The expenditures would be used for: increased travel throughout
the state for enforcement staff. It would also be used for
training education and memberships in national level
organizations. He noted that Alaska is secluded from the rest of
the U.S. both geographically and code-wise from the lower 48
states. He said more national organization membership and more
training would equip [DOLWD certifying personnel] to be
recognized industry experts in their areas. He also said the
current software database was developed in the 1990's and is in
desperate need of updating to increase the level of service to
the community and to allow for on-line application, payments and
on-line receipt of COFs. He said DOLWD would upgrade equipment
and machinery and credit card processing to allow online payment
processing. He said the state equipment fleet would receive a
large percentage of the fund and explained that DOLWD had 14
vehicles, ten of which were more than ten years old. He said the
staff were primarily field workers, spending most of their time
in the vehicles. He emphasized the need to upgrade the fleet of
vehicles to reduce the number of vehicle breakdowns. He also
said funds would be spent to upgrade computers and monitors and
infrastructure to support Information Technology (IT) for the
Labor Standards and Safety Division.
MR. DAMEROW concluded that the fiscal note was straightforward
and mostly reflected a lack of infrastructure spending over the
past seventeen years, during which there had been an increase in
spending but not in fees.
1:41:41 PM
SENATOR GRAY-JACKSON referred to the fiscal note from the
Department of Labor and Workforce Development, OMB Component
Number 346, dated February 29, 2024, noting that it called for
one new car per year for the State Equipment Fleet. She asked
how many cars the department needs and how they are used.
1:42:01 PM
MR. DAMEROW answered that the department has 14 vehicles, one
assigned to each of the current inspectors with some flexibility
for their use. Due to the age of the fleet, the cars suffer
significant breakdown, leading to setbacks in conducting field
inspections. He said the department does not maintain an excess
of vehicles, so when a vehicle is down, an inspector is not in
the field. He explained that some of the vehicles are not road-
worthy for longer trips, requiring inspectors to switch cars. He
said he hoped to standardize the fleet by selecting a single,
standard compact SUV, replacing one vehicle per year and
allowing for parts and tires to be interchangeable among the
vehicles. He noted that this would improve the efficiency of
maintaining the fleet and reduce waste of otherwise usable parts
and equipment.
1:43:31 PM
SENATOR GRAY-JACKSON appreciated the clarification.
1:43:41 PM
CHAIR BJORKMAN solicited the will of the committee.
1:43:46 PM
SENATOR GRAY-JACKSON moved to report SB 204, work order 33-
GS2370\A, from committee with individual recommendations and
attached fiscal note(s).
1:44:05 PM
CHAIR BJORKMAN found no objection and SB 204 was reported from
the Senate Labor and Commerce Standing Committee.