04/18/2001 01:32 PM House JUD

HB 67 - MOTOR VEHICLE REGISTRATION/INSURANCE                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
Number 1063                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR ROKEBERG  announced that the  next order of  business would                                                               
be HOUSE  BILL NO. 67, "An  Act requiring proof of  motor vehicle                                                               
insurance in order  to register a motor vehicle;  and relating to                                                               
motor  vehicle liability  insurance for  taxicabs."   [Before the                                                               
committee was CSHB 67(L&C).]                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Number 1086                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
JANET  SEITZ, Staff  to  Representative  Norman Rokeberg,  Alaska                                                               
State   Legislature,  explained   that  the   proposed  committee                                                               
substitute  (CS) for  HB 68,  version 22-LS0299\J,  Ford, 4/4/01,                                                               
merely  establishes minimum  requirements for  taxicab insurance.                                                               
She  added  that  Version  J  has  lower  requirements  than  the                                                               
previous version  because of  concerns expressed  by some  of the                                                               
taxicab companies.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR ROKEBERG  added that his research  indicates that currently                                                               
the state does not require insurance for taxicabs.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
Number 1143                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR ROKEBERG made a motion to  adopt the proposed CS for HB 68,                                                               
version 22-LS0299\J, Ford, 4/4/01, as a work draft.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Number 1147                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE BERKOWITZ  objected for the purpose  of discussing                                                               
the distinctions between Version J and CSHB 67(L&C).                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
MS. SEITZ explained that in  CSHB 67(L&C), the limit for coverage                                                               
was set at $300,000 for the  bodily injury or death of one person                                                               
in  one  accident (in  Version  J  it  is  set at  $100,000);  at                                                               
$500,000 for  the bodily injury or  death of two or  more persons                                                               
in one  accident (in  Version J  it is set  at $300,000);  and at                                                               
$100,000 for injury  to or destruction of property  (in Version J                                                               
it is  set at  $50,000).  She  again said that  this change  is a                                                               
result  of concerns  expressed  by the  taxicab  companies.   She                                                               
noted  that in  some areas  of Alaska,  local ordinances  require                                                               
insurance  for taxicabs;  she  also noted  that  included in  the                                                               
members'  packets  is  a chart  detailing  these  specific  local                                                               
requirements.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE BERKOWITZ requested that HB  67 be held over until                                                               
the next scheduled meeting.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  JAMES commented  that if  there is  not insurance                                                               
available  specifically for  taxicabs, then  there should  not be                                                               
taxicabs  [operating].   She said  she was  under the  impression                                                               
that  there  were laws  requiring  all  vehicles to  be  insured,                                                               
regardless of  whether the vehicle  was owned  by a company  or a                                                               
person.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR ROKEBERG added that this  lack of insurance requirements is                                                               
an "obvious hole in our statutes."                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
[HB 67 was  held over, with the  adoption of Version J  as a work                                                               
draft pending.]