HOUSE BILL NO. 140                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     "An Act authorizing the  Alaska Railroad Corporation to                                                                    
     issue  revenue  bonds  to   finance  a  positive  train                                                                    
     control   rail  transportation   safety  project   that                                                                    
     qualifies  for  federal  financial  participation;  and                                                                    
     providing for an effective date."                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
9:57:18 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  STEVE  THOMPSON,  SPONSOR,  highlighted  the                                                                    
basic  aspects of  the legislation.  He stated  that HB  140                                                                    
will  authorize the  Alaska Railroad  Corporation (ARRC)  to                                                                    
issue  up  to $37  million  in  tax-exempt bonds  backed  by                                                                    
Federal Transit Administration  (FTA) formula funds received                                                                    
annually  by ARRC.  Bond proceeds  will be  used to  finance                                                                    
Positive Train  Control (PTC): a safety  program mandated by                                                                    
the  federal  government  without any  correlating  funding,                                                                    
which is estimated to cost ARRC approximately $158 million.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair Micciche commented that  PTC was an irresponsible                                                                    
unfunded federal mandate, counter  to all reasonable metrics                                                                    
related  to  any  substantive  reduction  to  public  safety                                                                    
risks.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair  Micciche  looked  at the  attached  zero  impact                                                                    
note.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair Micciche MOVED to REPORT  HB 140 out of committee                                                                    
with  individual recommendations  and the  accompanying zero                                                                    
fiscal note. There being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
HB  140 was  REPORTED  out  of committee  with  a "do  pass"                                                                    
recommendation  and  with   one  previously  published  zero                                                                    
fiscal note: FN1 (CED).                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
10:01:07 AM                                                                                                                   
AT EASE                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
10:03:56 AM                                                                                                                   
RECONVENED