03/18/1995 10:05 AM House STA

 HSTA - 03/18/95                                                              
 HB 10 - PAYMENT OF COSTS OF DWI ACCIDENTS                                    
                                                                               
 Number 325                                                                    
                                                                               
 REPRESENTATIVE JOHN DAVIES, sponsor of HB 10, read his sponsor                
 statement:                                                                    
                                                                               
 "HB 10 is an act that requires DWI (Driving While                            
 Intoxicated) offenders convicted of causing a motor                           
 vehicle accident to pay for the costs of emergency                            
 services that respond to the accident.                                        
                                                                               
 "The problems and associated costs of driving while                          
 intoxicated are clear.  According to national                                 
 statistics, 43 percent of all fatal motor vehicle                             
 accidents involve alcohol.  According to the Department                       
 of Public Safety, 40 percent of all DWI arrests involve                       
 repeat offenders.  Furthermore, alcohol related                               
 accidents nationwide result in an economic loss of                            
 $46.1 billion per year, according to the U.S.                                 
 Department of Transportation, 1990.                                           
                                                                               
 "House Bill 10 attempts to address these problems in                         
 two ways.  First, as a deterrent to those who drive                           
 while intoxicated by raising the financial penalty for                        
 doing so.  By raising the financial burden to those                           
 breaking the law, HB 10 emphasizes the seriousness of                         
 the crime.  Second, this bill shifts the financial                            
 responsibility of the emergency services that respond                         
 to alcohol-related accidents from law abiding, tax                            
 paying citizens to the convicted DWI offender.                                
                                                                               
 "Three states, California, Indiana, and Kansas, have                         
 similar reimbursement laws."                                                  
                                                                               
 Number 348                                                                    
                                                                               
 DAVID TYLER said he and the Alaska State Fire Chiefs Association              
 strongly support the bill.  HB 10 can help them achieve their                 
 goals of reducing the loss of life in Alaska.                                 
                                                                               
 REPRESENTATIVE DAVIES pointed out the CS, work draft 9-LS0060/F,              
 which changes page 1, line 7, by adding "if the convicted person              
 or the convicted person's insurer has not already paid the                    
 cost..." to deal with the insurance issue.  He also would like to             
 insert the word "reasonable" in front of "cost" on line 6.  He                
 added he had gotten approval from those in favor of the bill to               
 make these changes.                                                           
                                                                               
 Number 388                                                                    
                                                                               
 REPRESENTATIVE GREEN moved the amendment on line 6.  There were               
 no objections.                                                                
                                                                               
 REPRESENTATIVE GREEN moved to adopt the CS version F, as amended,             
 as the working document.  There were no objections.                           
                                                                               
 REPRESENTATIVE DAVIES pointed out letters of support in the                   
 packet from Mothers Against Drunk Drivers and the Alaska                      
 Municipal League.                                                             
                                                                               
 CHAIR JAMES thanked Representative Davies for submitting the                  
 bill, saying she thought it was a good bill.                                  
                                                                               
 Number 404                                                                    
                                                                               
 REPRESENTATIVE IVAN inquired about the definition of "emergency               
 medical technician,"  whether this would include community health             
 aides in rural communities.                                                   
                                                                               
 REPRESENTATIVE DAVIES said he was not sure.                                   
                                                                               
 MARK JOHNSON, Chief of the Emergency Services Section, Department             
 of Health and Social Services, said community health aides in                 
 Alaska are all trained initially as emergency trauma technicians,             
 and a large number of them have attained emergency medical                    
 technician certification.  If the bill only refers to "emergency              
 medical technician" it would not include every community health               
 aide.  He suggested that adding "emergency trauma technician"                 
 would include every health aide in Alaska.                                    
                                                                               
 REPRESENTATIVE IVAN said he would be interested in including                  
 "emergency trauma technician" in the bill language.                           
                                                                               
 CHAIR JAMES remarked on the difficulty of meeting concerns of                 
 both urban and rural areas in Alaska, stating legislation should              
 be in the best interest of the state as a whole.                              
                                                                               
 Number 428                                                                    
                                                                               
 REPRESENTATIVE DAVIES said he would offer the addition of "health             
 aide" in the definition at the next committee.                                
                                                                               
 REPRESENTATIVE IVAN said he would like to include all those                   
 "qualified, with a certificated license."                                     
                                                                               
 REPRESENTATIVE ROBINSON made a motion to move CSHB 10 (STA) with              
 individual recommendations, and attached zero fiscal note.  There             
 were no objections.