03/24/2015 01:00 PM Senate TRANSPORTATION
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HJR5 | |
| SB66 | |
| Adjourn |
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | HJR 5 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | SB 66 | TELECONFERENCED | |
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
SENATE TRANSPORTATION STANDING COMMITTEE
March 24, 2015
1:01 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Senator Peter Micciche, Chair
Senator Click Bishop, Vice Chair
Senator Mike Dunleavy
Senator Dennis Egan
MEMBERS ABSENT
Senator Bert Stedman
OTHER LEGISLATORS PRESENT
Representative Jim Colver
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
CS FOR HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 5(TRA) AM
Recognizing the Academy of Model Aeronautics for establishing
safety guidelines and best practices.
- MOVED CSHJR 5(TRA) AM OUT OF COMMITTEE
SENATE BILL NO. 66
"An Act relating to the passenger and recreational vehicle
rental taxes; and providing for an effective date."
- HEARD & HELD
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
BILL: HJR 5
SHORT TITLE: RECOGNIZE ACADEMY OF MODEL AERONAUTICS
SPONSOR(s): REPRESENTATIVE(s) HUGHES
01/21/15 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
01/21/15 (H) TRA
02/12/15 (H) TRA AT 1:00 PM CAPITOL 17
02/12/15 (H) Moved CSHJR 5(TRA) Out of Committee
02/12/15 (H) MINUTE(TRA)
02/13/15 (H) TRA RPT CS(TRA) NT 6DP
02/13/15 (H) DP: STUTES, CLAMAN, ORTIZ, MILLETT,
HUGHES, FOSTER
02/18/15 (H) CS(TRA) REPRINTED 2/18/15
02/20/15 (H) TRANSMITTED TO (S)
02/20/15 (H) VERSION: CSHJR 5(TRA) AM
02/23/15 (S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
02/23/15 (S) TRA
03/24/15 (S) TRA AT 1:00 PM BUTROVICH 205
BILL: SB 66
SHORT TITLE: PASSENGER & REC. VEHICLE RENTAL TAX
SPONSOR(s): SENATOR(s) GIESSEL
03/04/15 (S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
03/04/15 (S) TRA, FIN
03/24/15 (S) TRA AT 1:00 PM BUTROVICH 205
WITNESS REGISTER
GINGER BLAISDELL, Staff
Representative Hughes
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Explained the changes in the committee
substitute (CS) for HJR 5 for the sponsor.
STEVE COLLIGAN, Director
Government Affairs
Alaska Academy of Model Aeronautics
Wasilla, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Commented on the Alaska Academy of Model
Aeronautics relative to HJR 5.
RO BAILEY, Director
University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) test site
Fairbanks, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Supported HJR 5.
REPRESENTATIVE SHELLEY HUGHES
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Sponsor of HJR 5.
FORREST WOLFE, Staff
Senator Giessel
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Introduced SB 66 for the sponsor.
ACTION NARRATIVE
1:01:31 PM
CHAIR PETER MICCICHE called the Senate Transportation Standing
Committee meeting to order at 1:01 p.m. Present at the call to
order were Senators Dunleavy, Egan and Chair Micciche.
1:01:58 PM
SENATOR BISHOP joined the committee.
HJR 5-RECOGNIZE ACADEMY OF MODEL AERONAUTICS
1:02:38 PM
CHAIR MICCICHE announced HJR 5 to be up for consideration [CSHJR
5(TRA) AM was before the committee].
GINGER BLAISDELL, staff to Representative Hughes, Alaska State
Legislature, Juneau, Alaska, sponsor of HJR 5, said this
resolution recognizes the Academy of Model Aeronautics for
establishing safety guidelines and best practices for the hobby
and recreational flyers.
She explained that the Federal Aeronautics Administration (FAA)
establishes rules for government and commercial use of unmanned
aircraft and is not establishing rules for recreational use at
this time, but the Academy of Model Aeronautics has been working
with hobbyists for over 75 years and has established rules and
guidelines for safe flying that are recognized by the FAA.
1:03:51 PM
MS. BLAISDEL said the sponsor had received a question about
resolve language on page 2, line 18 that says, "Alaska State
Legislature urges the state to work with federal agencies" and
then lines 24 and 25 sends a copy of the resolution only to the
University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF). The question was why other
state agencies aren't receiving copies of the resolution, and
the answer is that five state agencies are already on the task
force that actually drafted this resolution. So, they would be
sending it to themselves, but sending it to the UAF would
recognize the test site as it considers recommendations on
unmanned aircraft safety rules to the FAA.
CHAIR MICCICHE found no questions from committee members and
opened public testimony.
1:05:46 PM
STEVE COLLIGAN, Director, Government Affairs, Alaska Academy of
Model Aeronautics, Wasilla, Alaska, said he grew up in Fairbanks
and had been a model airplane enthusiast for as far back as he
can remember. He said the Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA) has
been around for almost 80 years. It is a community-based
organization that has been self-regulating and self-insured. It
provides insurance for property owners and for the pilots. Its
rules and regulations have evolved over the 80-year period.
He said the Wright Brothers belonged to a model aviation group
before they flew real-size airplanes and they set the standards.
The difference between model aircraft and drones comes down to
basically if you are getting paid for flying them or not. The
technology is so affordable that the question becomes one of
operation safety and guidelines.
He said model aviation operates at assigned flying fields within
line of sight and has had its own code of safety and conduct for
a long time, while the FAA is working through regulations for
beyond line of sight professional use for a fee. So, this is an
opportunity to clearly put their best foot forward.
MR. COLLIGAN held up a "Know Before You Fly" brochure that was
put out in cooperation with the Academy of Model Aeronautics,
Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI)
(the association for professional drone operators), the small
Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) coalition and the FAA. He said
it's more than a full-time job to keep up with the regulations
and bureaucracy and this is a one-portal access for users,
professional or recreational, to find out what the current
regulations are and understand the process.
1:08:30 PM
Three weeks ago the FAA released notice of proposed rule-making
(NPRM) that allows for a favorable operation, but it's not the
law of the land at the moment. So, all of them, including the
Unmanned Aerial Systems Task Force, must work to provide
education.
MR. COLLIGAN said the little white drone that crashed on the
White House lawn, for instance, was an off-the-shelf product
that had some distinct modifications. The reality is that there
are 15,000 of them a month coming onto U.S. shores and the more
news about them the more excitement is created.
Today he was asking the legislature to help them set forth best
practices, so Alaska can put its logo on this national site. He
said the Academy of Model Aeronautics has over 200,000 members
nationwide.
1:10:57 PM
SENATOR BISHOP said the resolution only mentions one person from
the State of Alaska, UA President Gamble, and asked if he felt
anyone else in the state should be included.
1:11:32 PM
MR. COLLIGAN said that the Task Force is made up of
representatives from Homeland Security and affected departments
- the state Department of Transportation and Public Facilities
and the Department of Natural Resources (that will eventually be
users in the mapping industry) - and so adding them wouldn't be
necessary.
CHAIR MICCICHE, finding no further questions, thanked him for
his testimony.
1:12:52 PM
RO BAILEY, Director, UAF test site, Fairbanks, Alaska, supported
HJR 5. She said the AMA is an important group for those who
eventually move into the commercial and scientific side of using
drones, but it's also an important group for helping provide
some guidelines and some assistance to those who would like to
do the right thing, but have no other way to find out.
1:14:12 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SHELLEY HUGHES, sponsor of HJR 5, Alaska State
Legislature, Juneau, Alaska, commented that typically when the
legislature recognizes an organization it's through a citation,
because it is wonderful. They think the academy is wonderful,
but the reason for using a resolution to recognize it is because
it's very important that the casual recreational users know what
the safety rules are so the skies are safe. Incidents have
happened when someone flew a drone in a place that would not be
safe (near people or the vicinity of manner aircraft) and she
didn't want a tragic accident to bring this to the attention of
Alaskans. This resolution is a much better way to try to avoid
any incident like that.
She also pointed out that Alaskadrones.org is a resource for
those recreational user guidelines.
CHAIR MICCICHE, finding no further questions, closed public
testimony.
SENATOR BISHOP moved to report CSHJR 5(TRA) from committee with
individual recommendations and attached zero fiscal note. There
were no objections and it was so ordered.
1:16:28 PM
At ease from 1:16 to 1:17 p.m.
SB 66-PASSENGER & REC. VEHICLE RENTAL TAX
1:17:34 PM
CHAIR MICCICHE announced SB 66 to be up for consideration.
1:17:43 PM
FORREST WOLFE, staff to Senator Giessel, Alaska State
Legislature, Juneau, Alaska, introduced SB 66 for the sponsor
saying that this bill seeks to clarify legislation passed in
2003, so it is in line with the original intent.
SB 66 was held in committee.
1:19:23 PM
CHAIR MICCICHE adjourned the Senate Transportation Committee
meeting at 1:19 p.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| CSHJR5(TRA)am ver H.pdf |
STRA 3/24/2015 1:00:00 PM |
HJR 5 |
| CSHJR5(TRA)am Sponsor Statement - recognize AMA.pdf |
STRA 3/24/2015 1:00:00 PM |
HJR 5 |
| HJR5-Fiscal Note -LEG-SESS-02-06-2015 #1.pdf |
STRA 3/24/2015 1:00:00 PM |
HJR 5 |
| CSHJR5(TRA)am Changes to version H.pdf |
STRA 3/24/2015 1:00:00 PM |
HJR 5 |
| HJR 5 KBYF_Brochure (4 Panel).pdf |
STRA 3/24/2015 1:00:00 PM |
HJR 5 |
| SB 66 - Ver E.pdf |
STRA 3/24/2015 1:00:00 PM |
SB 66 |
| SB 66 - Sponsor Statement.pdf |
STRA 3/24/2015 1:00:00 PM |
SB 66 |
| SB 66 - Supporting Documents- Letter Alaska Pacific Leasing 3-12-15.pdf |
STRA 3/24/2015 1:00:00 PM |
SB 66 |
| SB 66 Supporting Documents-Letter -David Faulk 3-16-15.pdf |
STRA 3/24/2015 1:00:00 PM |
SB 66 |
| SB 66 Supporting Documents - Knauss Email.pdf |
STRA 3/24/2015 1:00:00 PM |
SB 66 |
| SB 66 Fiscal Note-DOR -3-23-15.pdf |
STRA 3/24/2015 1:00:00 PM |
SB 66 |