Legislature(2023 - 2024)GRUENBERG 120

03/12/2024 03:00 PM House STATE AFFAIRS

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* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+= SB 12 ADDRESS CONFIDENTIALITY PROGRAM TELECONFERENCED
Moved HCS CSSB 12(STA) Out of Committee
-- Public Testimony --
+= HJR 18 SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFIT REDUCTION REPEAL TELECONFERENCED
Moved CSHJR 18(STA) Out of Committee
-- Public Testimony --
+= SB 95 LIC. PLATES: SPECIALTY ORGS/PEACE OFFICER TELECONFERENCED
Moved HCS CSSB 95(STA) Out of Committee
-- Public Testimony --
+ HB 190 ALASKA SUNSET COMMISSION TELECONFERENCED
Heard & Held
-- Public Testimony --
+ Bills Previously Heard/Scheduled TELECONFERENCED
+= SB 103 PEER SUPPORT COUNSELING PROGRAM TELECONFERENCED
Moved HCS SB 103(STA) Out of Committee
        SB  95-LIC. PLATES: SPECIALTY ORGS/PEACE OFFICER                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
4:08:57 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SHAW announced that the next  order of business would be CS                                                               
FOR SENATE BILL NO. 95(STA),  "An Act relating to special request                                                               
specialty organization  registration plates; relating  to special                                                               
registration plates  commemorating peace  officers killed  in the                                                               
line of duty; and providing for an effective date."                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
4:09:15 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE ALLARD  moved Amendment  1 to CSSB  95(STA), which                                                               
read as follows:                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     Page 1, line 2, following "duty;":                                                                                       
          Insert "relating to special registration plates                                                                     
     for  vehicles  owned  by women  veterans;  relating  to                                                                  
     special request  registration plates for  United States                                                                  
     Space Force personnel;"                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
     Page 3, following line 6:                                                                                                  
     Insert new material to read:                                                                                               
          "(nn)  Vehicles owned by women veterans. The                                                                          
     department,  upon receipt  of  written  proof that  the                                                                    
     woman  veteran is  a sole  or  joint owner  of a  motor                                                                    
     vehicle,  shall issue  special registration  plates for                                                                    
     the  motor vehicle  to  a requesting  person  who is  a                                                                    
     woman  veteran or  retired woman  veteran of  the armed                                                                    
     forces of  the United States.  The design and  color of                                                                    
     the  women  veteran  or retired  women  veteran  plates                                                                    
     shall be designed by a  committee of women veterans and                                                                    
     retired women veterans.                                                                                                    
          (oo)  Special request plates for United States                                                                        
     Space Force  personnel. Upon  application by  the owner                                                                    
     of a  motor vehicle who presents  satisfactory proof of                                                                    
     current membership  in the  Unites States  Space Force,                                                                    
     the  department  may   design  and  issue  registration                                                                    
     plates  that identify  the vehicle  as registered  to a                                                                    
     member   of  the   United  States   Space  Force.   The                                                                    
     department may disapprove  the issuance of registration                                                                    
     plates under this subsection  when the requested plates                                                                    
     are a duplication of an existing registration.                                                                             
        * Sec. 2. AS 28.10.421(d)(2) is amended to read:                                                                      
               (2)  special request plates for                                                                                  
               (A)  Alaska National Guard or United States                                                                  
     Space Force personnel  .............................   $30;                                                            
               (B)  veterans, retired veterans, women                                                                       
     veterans, retired women veterans, or Lao veterans  .  $30;                                                             
               (C)  recipients of the Purple Heart  ....   none;                                                                
               (D)  recipients of the Bronze Star awarded                                                                       
     for  valor,  Silver  Star,  Navy  Cross,  Distinguished                                                                    
     Service Cross,  Air Force Cross, Coast  Guard Cross, or                                                                    
     other award reflecting valor  ......................   $30;                                                                
               (E)  owners of custom collector vehicles   $50;                                                                  
               (F)  Iditarod race finishers  ............   $50;                                                                
               (G)  other special request plates  .......   $30;                                                                
     plus the  fee required  for that  vehicle under  (b) of                                                                    
     this section; the fee required  by this paragraph shall                                                                    
     be  collected only  on the  first issuance  and on  the                                                                    
     replacement of special request plates;"                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
     Renumber the following bill sections accordingly.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
     Page 3, following line 18:                                                                                                 
     Insert a new bill section to read:                                                                                         
        "*  Sec.  4. The  uncodified  law  of the  State  of                                                                
     Alaska is amended by adding a new section to read:                                                                         
          DESIGN COMMITTEE FOR WOMEN VETERAN SPECIAL                                                                            
     REGISTRATION  PLATES. A  committee  for  the design  of                                                                    
     women   veteran  or   retired  women   veteran  special                                                                    
     registration    plates   under    AS 28.10.181(nn)   is                                                                    
     established. The  committee consists of  women veterans                                                                    
     and retired women veterans, with  a legislator who is a                                                                    
     retired woman  veteran serving as chair.  The committee                                                                    
     shall  determine  the design  and  color  of the  women                                                                    
     veteran or retired women veteran plates."                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
     Renumber the following bill section accordingly.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
4:09:19 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE WRIGHT objected for the purpose of discussion.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  ALLARD expressed  her  appreciation  to the  bill                                                               
sponsor for  bringing forward CSSB  95(STA).  She  explained that                                                               
Amendment 1 seeks  to include Space Force and  women veterans, to                                                               
the  list of  organizations  that can  be  recognized on  license                                                               
plates.  She reported that  about 10,000 women veterans reside in                                                               
Alaska.   Also included in  the amendment  is the formation  of a                                                               
committee for female veterans to design a license plate.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  WRIGHT  said  he   is  inclined  to  support  the                                                               
amendment and  has created legislation  to support  the inclusion                                                               
of Space  Force in Alaska State  Statute.  He asked  to hear from                                                               
the bill sponsor.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
4:11:48 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  KELLY  MERRICK,  Alaska   State  Legislature,  as  prime                                                               
sponsor of SB  95, commented that Amendment 1 is  contrary to the                                                               
point of the bill.   She said SB 95 was  written to eliminate the                                                               
need  for  the  legislature  to pass  legislation  for  specialty                                                               
plates to  be made.  She  explained that the specialty  plate for                                                               
fallen peace  officers was added  only because the bill  had been                                                               
introduced prior  to SB 95.   Including extra plates  will likely                                                               
quadruple  the fiscal  note.   By  passing the  bill as  written,                                                               
women veterans  and Space Force  personnel can  request specialty                                                               
through the DMV instead of through the legislature.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
4:13:06 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE ALLARD, in response  to Senator Merrick, commented                                                               
that marginalizing  female veterans and space  force is alarming.                                                               
She said she lives in the  district with the most female military                                                               
veterans  in  the  state.    She argued  that  the  cost  of  the                                                               
specialty plates  is minimal and  should be spent to  honor those                                                               
who have served our country.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
4:13:50 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE STORY asked for clarification.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
4:14:05 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR MERRICK  explained that any  group, including a  group of                                                               
women  veterans, would  be  able  to apply  through  the DMV  for                                                               
specialty  plates.   The proposed  legislation would  not prevent                                                               
legislators  from bringing  future  license plates  forward in  a                                                               
bill  in  the  future;  the  bill  just  makes  it  possible  for                                                               
specialty license plates to be approved by the DMV.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
4:14:50 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE CARRICK  asked for the bill  sponsor's perspective                                                               
of when the specialty plates  for fallen peace officers was added                                                               
to the original bill.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
4:15:07 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  MERRICK explained  that  the bill  to approve  specialty                                                               
plates for fallen peace officers  was introduced before SB 95. It                                                               
discussed in the Senate Finance  Committee, then added as a floor                                                               
amendment.  She  explained there was some  disagreement about the                                                               
procedure.   She found  it reasonable and  decided not  to object                                                               
because the bill had previously been filed.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  CARRICK  asked,  if the  fallen  peace  officers'                                                               
specialty license  plate not been  included in the  bill, whether                                                               
SB 95, "the  license plate bill to end all  license plate bills,"                                                               
would make  it possible  to create  that specialty  plate through                                                               
the DMV instead of the legislature.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR MERRICK affirmed Representative Carrick's description.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE CARRICK  asked if  Senator Merrick  disapproved of                                                               
the  amendment  because  of  the  specific  plates  mentioned  or                                                               
because of the process by which they are put forth.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR MERRICK responded that she  does not seek to diminish the                                                               
importance  of Space  Force  personnel or  women  veterans.   She                                                               
reclarified  that adding  more organizations  to the  bill in  an                                                               
amendment defeats  the purpose of  the bill.  She  explained that                                                               
currently, specialty  license plates approved by  the legislature                                                               
utilize general fund  dollars.  She mentioned  the current fiscal                                                               
crisis.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE CARRICK  asked for  the average  cost of  adding a                                                               
new license plate through the state legislature.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
4:17:02 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
KERRY  CROCKER,  Staff,  Senator   Kelly  Merrick,  Alaska  State                                                               
Legislature,  answered  that  over  the  last  eight  years  with                                                               
different  specialty plate  bills  there have  been fiscal  notes                                                               
ranging from $0 to $16,000.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
4:17:28 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE WRIGHT maintained his objection.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
A  roll call  vote  was taken.    Representatives Allard,  Story,                                                               
Wright, C.  Johnson, and Shaw  voted in  favor of Amendment  1 to                                                               
CSSB  95(STA).     Representatives  Carrick  voted   against  it.                                                               
Therefore, Amendment 1 was adopted by a vote of 5-1.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
4:18:12 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  SHAW   opened  public  testimony   on  SB  95   and  after                                                               
ascertaining  that no  one wished  to testify,  he closed  public                                                               
testimony.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR MERRICK provided wrap up comments about SB 95.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
4:19:06 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE WRIGHT  moved to report CSSB  95(STA), as amended,                                                               
out  of  committee,  with   individual  recommendations  and  the                                                               
accompanying zero  fiscal notes.   There being no  objection, HCS                                                               
SB 95(STA) was  reported out of the House  State Affairs Standing                                                               
Committee.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
4:19:24 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
The committee took an at-ease from 4:19 p.m. to 4:22 p.m.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
4:22:01 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE WRIGHT corrected his  previous motion and moved to                                                               
report  CSSB   95(STA),  as  amended,  out   of  committee,  with                                                               
individual  recommendations and  the  accompanying fiscal  notes.                                                               
There being no objection, HCS SB  95(STA) was reported out of the                                                               
House State Affairs Standing Committee.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                

Document Name Date/Time Subjects
SB 12 Amendment 1 HSTA.pdf HSTA 3/12/2024 3:00:00 PM
SB 12
CS HJR 18 HSTA.pdf HSTA 3/12/2024 3:00:00 PM
HJR 18
CS for HB 190 Summary of Changes.pdf HSTA 3/12/2024 3:00:00 PM
HB 190
HB 190 - Sponsor Statement.pdf HSTA 3/12/2024 3:00:00 PM
HSTA 4/9/2024 3:00:00 PM
HB 190
HB 190 House State Affairs Bill Hearing Request.pdf HSTA 3/12/2024 3:00:00 PM
HB0190B.pdf HSTA 3/12/2024 3:00:00 PM
HSTA 4/2/2024 3:00:00 PM
HB 190
List of Divisions and Corporations Under Each Department (for presentation).pdf HSTA 3/12/2024 3:00:00 PM
HSTA 4/2/2024 3:00:00 PM
CSHB 190 Sectional Analysis Version B.pdf HSTA 3/12/2024 3:00:00 PM
HSTA 4/16/2024 3:00:00 PM
HB 190
HB190 Alaska Sunset Commission Presentation 3.12.2024.pdf HSTA 3/12/2024 3:00:00 PM
HSTA 4/2/2024 3:00:00 PM
HSTA 4/16/2024 3:00:00 PM
HB 190