01/31/2006 01:30 PM House FINANCE

1:39:42 PM                                                                                                                    
HOUSE BILL NO. 245                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     An Act relating  to registration and license  plate fees                                                                   
     for   Purple  Heart   recipients,   prisoners  of   war,                                                                   
     Congressional Medal of Honor  recipients, and spouses of                                                                   
     current prisoners of war.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE BOB LYNN, SPONSOR,  stated that the bill would                                                                   
allow  the Division  of Motor  Vehicles (DMV)  to design  and                                                                   
issue  special  registration  plates  for  one  noncommercial                                                                   
motor  vehicle  to   a  person  who  has  been   awarded  the                                                                   
Congressional Medal  of Honor.   He stated that  those people                                                                   
have  already  paid a  high  price  and should  receive  that                                                                   
honor.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Representative Lynn  added that the  spouses also serve  in a                                                                   
different  way.  The  plate would  be for  both parties.   He                                                                   
urged favorable consideration of the bill.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
1:42:59 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
DUANE  BANNOCK,  (TESTIFIED  VIA  TELECONFERENCE),  DIRECTOR,                                                                   
DIVISION   OF    MOTOR   VEHICLES   (DMV),    DEPARTMENT   OF                                                                   
ADMINISTRATION,  ANCHORAGE,   offered  to   answer  questions                                                                   
regarding the impact of the legislation.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
1:44:33 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Vice  Chair Stoltze  asked  if there  were  any Pearl  Harbor                                                                   
survivors still alive.   Mr. Bannock thought  that there were                                                                   
seven registered  survivors in  Alaska; that information  was                                                                   
taken from  2004 data.   In 2004,  there were  a total  of 18                                                                   
vehicles registered with that classification.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
1:45:55 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
GORDON  SEVERSON, (TESTIFIED  VIA TELECONFERENCE),  ANCHORAGE                                                                   
MUNICIPAL  MILITARY  &  VETERANS   COMMISSION,  CHAPTER  675,                                                                   
ANCHORAGE, encouraged  passage of the legislation.   He noted                                                                   
that he  already has  a Purple Heart  license plate  but that                                                                   
the legislation  would benefit other Purple  Heart recipients                                                                   
within the State.   Additionally, the legislation  recognizes                                                                   
wounded  Iraqi  veterans.   He  suggested that  those  people                                                                   
would be  privileged to be recognized  in such a manner.   He                                                                   
urged passage of HB 245.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
1:48:34 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
ED  KNOEBEL,  (TESTIFIED  VIA   TELECONFERENCE),  GLENNALLEN,                                                                   
encouraged  passage of  the legislation  and offered  to help                                                                   
with design of the plates.  He  indicated that he was a World                                                                   
War II  veteran with a  Purple Heart.   He stated  that there                                                                   
are  a total  of 6,000  Purple Heart  members throughout  the                                                                   
country with 30 or 40 living in Alaska.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
1:51:06 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Meyer asked  if there would be a one-time  charge of                                                                   
$5,000 dollar  for the new  plate.  Representative  Lynn said                                                                   
that was correct and thought that cost was excessive.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
1:52:18 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Bannock explained  that the $5,000 dollars  would include                                                                   
a couple different  items.  He added that any  change made to                                                                   
the  current computer  system  requires many  hours of  work.                                                                   
The system  is very old and  every license plate  is assigned                                                                   
for every type  of classification of automobile.   The system                                                                   
is  not  easily  amended  and   the  proposed  cost  includes                                                                   
redesign  charges.   Those license  plates  are designed  and                                                                   
ordered  on an individual  basis, which  increases a  little,                                                                   
the per plate cost.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
1:53:55 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Meyer  pointed out  that there  are no Prisoners  of                                                                   
War  (POW)  or spouses  of  current  POW's  at this  time  in                                                                   
Alaska.   He  asked if  the plate  must be  designed at  this                                                                   
time.   Mr. Bannock  informed members  that currently,  there                                                                   
are  a POW  license plate.   What  is being  proposed is  who                                                                   
would  be  entitled  to receive  free  registration.    Those                                                                   
persons would qualify for the  free registration if they were                                                                   
a spouse of  a current prisoner of war.   Representative Lynn                                                                   
acknowledged that was the intent.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Representative Holm inquired if  there already exists a metal                                                                   
of honor plate.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
1:55:22 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Bannock replied  that there is not one and  would need to                                                                   
be designed.   That person would  not pay for both  the plate                                                                   
and/or the vehicle registration.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Representative Holm  inquired if there were  current metal of                                                                   
honor residents in Alaska.  Mr. Bannock did not know.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
1:55:56 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Representative Holm asked how  much it would cost to design a                                                                   
plate.    Mr.  Bannock  replied   that  number  was  variable                                                                   
depending on the  rendition.  He recommended that  a group be                                                                   
assigned to  design the plate,  keeping the cost  around $500                                                                   
dollars for a sample plate.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
1:56:56 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
AT EASE:       1:57:22 PM                                                                                                     
RECONVENE:1:57:55 PM                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
1:57:58 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Meyer  noted  that   the  bill  would  be  held  in                                                                   
Committee   in   order   to  research   the   fiscal   costs.                                                                   
Representative Lynn  said he would cooperate  with the wishes                                                                   
of the Committee.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
HB 245 was HELD in Committee for further consideration.