02/14/2024 03:15 PM House LABOR & COMMERCE

            HB 253-FEDERALLY DESIGNATED REFRIGERANTS                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
3:22:09 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SUMNER announced that the  final order of business would be                                                               
HOUSE BILL NO.  253, "An Act relating  to refrigerants designated                                                               
as acceptable for use under federal law."                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
3:22:27 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
FORREST  WOLFE,  Staff,  Representative  Stanley  Wright,  Alaska                                                               
State  Legislature, provided  a re-cap  on  HB 253  on behalf  of                                                               
Representative  Wright, prime  sponsor.   The  bill  would add  a                                                               
section  to Alaska  statute  to  allow for  but  not mandate  the                                                               
transition  from  hydrofluorocarbons  (HFCs).     Under  HB  253,                                                               
building  codes  in   Alaska  could  not  stop  the   use  of  an                                                               
Environmental  Protection Agency  (EPA)-approved HFC  alternative                                                               
if  the  necessary  equipment  were  installed  properly  and  in                                                               
compliance with  safety standards.   He indicated the  bill would                                                               
support the trend away from HFC use the construction industry.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
3:23:50 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
JOSIPHIAH  MASON, Staff,  Representative  Stanley Wright,  Alaska                                                               
State  Legislature, on  behalf  of  Representative Wright,  prime                                                               
sponsor, provided the  sponsor statement for HB  253 [included in                                                               
committee packet],  which read  as follows  [original punctuation                                                               
provided]:                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
     Alaska  is  one  of  the states  where  legislation  is                                                                    
     needed  to   prepare  for  the  transition   away  from                                                                    
     hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). HFCs  are chemicals that are                                                                    
     most commonly  found in industrial and  residential air                                                                    
     conditioning systems in the form of refrigerant.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
     According to the Climate and  Clean Air Coalition, "The                                                                    
     most abundant HFC  is 3,790 times more  damaging to the                                                                    
     climate  than carbon  dioxide  over  a 20-year  period"                                                                    
     (CCA)  House  Bill  253  aims   to  give  the  Heating,                                                                    
     Ventilation, and  Air Conditioning (HVAC)  Industry the                                                                    
     framework it  needs to begin the  transitioning process                                                                    
     in the future in a  safe and efficient manner, allowing                                                                    
     for them to stay as  competitive as possible while also                                                                    
     lowering the global  warming potential by approximately                                                                    
     75% through switching to HFC alternatives.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
     To move  forward with the  goal of switching  out HFCs,                                                                    
     the legislature must ensure that  the building codes in                                                                    
     Alaska  cannot stop  the use  of a  HFC alternative  as                                                                    
     long as  the equipment  needed to  use it  is installed                                                                    
     properly  and   complies  with  the   necessary  safety                                                                    
     standards.  Supporting the  switch  to HFC  alternative                                                                    
     refrigerants   will   nationally  contribute   to   the                                                                    
     projected  creation of  around 33,000  jobs as  well as                                                                    
     maintaining  138,400 other  existing jobs  from now  to                                                                    
     2027.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
     This will embolden Alaska's economy  and ensure that we                                                                    
     do  all we  can to  support the  need for  green energy                                                                    
     techniques   and   industries   in   the   future.   In                                                                    
     combination with  other states, the  federal transition                                                                    
     to HFC alternatives is  projected to decrease America's                                                                    
     greenhouse  gas emissions  by a  total  of 2.4  billion                                                                    
     metric tons  of Carbon Dioxide  for the next  15 years.                                                                    
     The importance  of allowing  our industrial  leaders to                                                                    
     have a functional environment in  which to do business,                                                                    
     as  well as  working on  our levels  of greenhouse  gas                                                                    
     emissions are two very  important, related subjects and                                                                    
     HB  253s  passage  will  be  a  fantastic  approach  to                                                                    
     helping both.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
3:25:53 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  CARRICK  asked  how   the  bill  differs  from  a                                                               
previous iteration of this legislation.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
MR. WOLFE answered that the outcome  is the same, some words were                                                               
changed.    To  a  follow-up   question,  he  indicated  that  an                                                               
amendment by  the Senate had  resulted in the governor's  veto of                                                               
the prior version of this  legislation, and he expressed his hope                                                               
that  HB 253  would  pass  both bodies  this  year without  being                                                               
amended.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
3:27:43 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SUMNER opened pub testimony  on HB 253.  After ascertaining                                                               
there  was  no  one  who  wished to  testify,  he  closed  public                                                               
testimony.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
3:28:01 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE RUFFRIDGE moved to report  HB 253 out of committee                                                               
with  individual  recommendations  and  the  accompanying  fiscal                                                               
notes.  There being no objection,  HB 253 was reported out of the                                                               
House Labor and Commerce Standing Committee.