SB 95-LIC. PLATES: SPECIALTY ORGS/PEACE OFFICER  12:35:46 PM CHAIR C. JOHNSON announced that the first order of business would be CS FOR SENATE BILL NO. 95(STA) am, "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." [Before the committee was HCS CSSB 95(STA).] 12:35:57 PM REPRESENTATIVE TILTON moved to adopt the proposed House committee substitute (HCS) for CSSB 95(STA), Version 33- LS0517\R, C. Radford, 5/10/24, as a working document. CHAIR C. JOHNSON objected for the purpose of discussion. 12:36:25 PM TOM WRIGHT, Staff, Representative C. Johnson, Alaska State Legislature, explained that Version R would remove Section 4 from the HCS CSSB 95(STA) version of the bill. He noted there was a legal memorandum ("memo") [included in the committee packet] explaining that a legislator may not hold offices, such as chairing a committee proposed in Section 4, and he indicated this is a separation of power issue. Further, he noted that there is an amendment from Representative Coulombe and a new fiscal note from the Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) that totals $266,000, which he remarked is "really no change from the other fiscal note." 12:37:40 PM REPRESENTATIVE FIELDS asked to hear from the bill sponsor's staff. 12:38:01 PM SORCHA HAZELTON, Staff, Representative Kelly Merrick, Alaska State Legislature, on behalf of Representative Merrick, prime sponsor of SB 95, stated that "the sponsor has no problem with either change." 12:38:13 PM CHAIR C. JOHNSON removed his objection to the motion to adopt the proposed HCS to HCS CSSB 95(STA). There being no further objection, Version R was before the committee. 12:38:39 PM REPRESENTATIVE TILTON moved to adopt Amendment 1 to Version R of SB 95, labeled 33-LS0517\S.4, C. Radford, 5/11/24, which read as follows: Page 1, line 4, following "personnel;": Insert "relating to the transfer of vehicles;  relating to commercial driver's licenses and  commercial instruction permits;" Page 4, following line 19: Insert new bill sections to read:   "* Sec. 4. AS 28.15.031(c) is amended to read: (c) The department may not issue an original or duplicate commercial driver's license to, nor renew or reinstate the commercial driver's license of, a person who is disqualified from operating commercial motor vehicles in this or any other jurisdiction [OR IS NOT DOMICILED IN THIS STATE].  * Sec. 5. AS 28.15.051(f) is amended to read: (f) A person who is at least 18 years of age may apply to the department for a domiciled commercial instruction permit. The department may, after the applicant has successfully passed all parts of the examination under AS 28.15.081 other than the driving test, issue to the applicant a domiciled commercial instruction permit. The permit allows a person, while having the permit in the person's immediate possession, to drive a specified commercial type or class of motor vehicle on a highway or vehicular way or area for a period not to exceed 180 days. The permittee shall be accompanied by a person at least 21 years of age who has been licensed at least one year to drive the type or class of vehicle being used, who is capable of exercising control over the wheel, and who occupies a seat beside the driver. A domiciled commercial instruction permit may be renewed one time for a period of 180 days. Once a license is issued to drive a specified type or class of motor vehicle, a driver is not eligible to obtain a domiciled commercial instruction [INSTRUCTIONAL] permit for that specified type or class of motor vehicle unless (1) five years have passed since the expiration of the previous license; or (2) the domiciled commercial instruction permit is obtained for the purpose of adding an endorsement to a current class of commercial license.  * Sec. 6. AS 28.15.051 is amended by adding a new subsection to read: (g) A person who is at least 18 years of age may apply to the department for a non-domiciled commercial instruction permit. The department may, after the applicant has successfully passed all parts of the examination under AS 28.15.081 other than the driving test, issue to the applicant a non-domiciled commercial instruction permit if the applicant is domiciled in a foreign jurisdiction or another state, the department determines that the commercial motor vehicle testing and licensing standards of the other jurisdiction meet the requirements of federal law, and the applicant satisfies the requirements of AS 28.33.100(a)(2)(B) - (D). The permit allows a person, while having the permit in the person's immediate possession, to drive a specified commercial type or class of motor vehicle on a highway or vehicular way or area for a period not to exceed one year. The permittee shall be accompanied by a person at least 21 years of age who has been licensed at least one year to drive the type or class of vehicle being used, who is capable of exercising control over the wheel, and who occupies a seat beside the driver. A non-domiciled commercial instruction permit must be marked with "non-domiciled" on the face of the document. A non-domiciled commercial instruction permit expires on the earlier of the expiration date determined by the United States Department of Homeland Security that is stated on the form required for the applicant under AS 28.33.100(a)(2)(B) or one year from the date of issuance. Once a license is issued to drive a specified type or class of motor vehicle, a driver is not eligible to obtain a non-domiciled commercial instruction permit for that specified type or class of motor vehicle unless  (1) five years have passed since the expiration of the previous license; or (2) the non-domiciled commercial instruction permit is obtained for the purpose of adding an endorsement to a current class of commercial license.   * Sec. 7. AS 28.22.031 is amended by adding a new subsection to read: (c) The department shall review all accident reports and shall request proof of insurance from a vehicle owner or operator in each case in which evidence of motor vehicle liability insurance that complies with this chapter is not present.   * Sec. 8. AS 28.33.100(a) is amended to read: (a) A person may not drive a commercial motor vehicle until the person applies for and is issued a license for that purpose under AS 28.15.041. The department may [NOT] issue a (1) domiciled license to drive a commercial motor vehicle only if [UNLESS] the applicant (A) [(1)] is at least 18 years of age, to operate in intrastate commerce, or at least 21 years of age, to operate in interstate commerce, except as provided in (f) of this section; (B) [(2)] has successfully completed all required driving tests and written and physical examinations; (C) [(3)] either does not have a driver's license issued by another jurisdiction or surrenders all driver's licenses issued by other jurisdictions; and (D) [(4)] is domiciled in this state;  (2) non-domiciled license to drive a  commercial motor vehicle if the applicant (A) is domiciled in  (i) a foreign jurisdiction that meets the  requirements set out in 49 C.F.R. 383.23(b)(1); or  (ii) another state that meets the  requirements set out in 49 C.F.R. 383.23(b)(2); and  (B) meets the applicable requirements set  out in AS 28.33.100(a) and 49 C.F.R. 383.71  (C) is at least 18 years of age, to operate  in intrastate commerce, or at least 21 years of age,  to operate in interstate commerce, except as provided  in (f) of this section; and  (D) has successfully completed all required  driving tests and written and physical examinations.  * Sec. 9. AS 28.33.100 is amended by adding new subsections to read: (g) A non-domiciled commercial driver's license must be marked with "non-domiciled" on the face of the document. (h) A non-domiciled commercial driver's license expires (1) for an applicant under (a)(2)(A)(i) of this section, on the earlier of (A) the expiration date determined by the United States Department of Homeland Security that is stated on the form required for the applicant under 49 C.F.R. 383.71(f)(2)(i); or (B) one year from the date of issuance; (2) for an applicant under (a)(2)(A)(ii) of this section, one year from the date of issuance. (i) In addition to the requirements under (a) of this section, the holder of a non-domiciled commercial driver's license shall notify the department of any adverse action taken by a foreign or domestic jurisdiction or governmental agency against the person's driving privileges as required by federal law.   * Sec. 10. AS 28.39.040(c) is amended to read: (c) The department shall, upon assignment of a registration number, issue and deliver to the owner a certificate of registration in a form prescribed by the department. [A CERTIFICATE OF REGISTRATION IS NOT VALID UNLESS IT IS SIGNED BY THE PERSON WHO SIGNED THE APPLICATION FOR REGISTRATION.]  * Sec. 11. AS 28.39.050(a) is amended to read: (a) If there is a change of ownership of a snowmobile, the [SELLER AND] buyer shall [FILL OUT THE TRANSFER OF OWNERSHIP SECTION OF THE REGISTRATION, AND THE SELLER SHALL SIGN OVER THE REGISTRATION TO THE NEW OWNER. THE SELLER SHALL] promptly submit an  application for registration [THE TRANSFER OF OWNERSHIP SECTION] to the department, and, if the  application meets the requirements set out in this  chapter and in regulation, the department shall issue a new certificate of registration to the new owner.  * Sec. 12. AS 28.90.990(a) is amended by adding new paragraphs to read: (33) "commercial driver's license" includes a non-domiciled commercial driver's license; (34) "commercial learner's permit" includes a non-domiciled commercial learner's permit.  * Sec. 13. AS 28.33.190(9) is repealed." Renumber the following bill sections accordingly. CHAIR C. JOHNSON objected for the purpose of discussion. 12:39:01 PM EDRA MORLEDGE, Staff, Representative Julie Coulombe, Alaska State Legislature, on behalf of Representative Coulombe, addressed Amendment 1. She explained that Representative Coulombe and a member of the other body had, last year, offered companion legislation to shorten the wait period for obtaining commercial licensing in response to a shortage of approximately 500 unfilled trucker positions by reducing the wait time to one year. Subsequently, it was discovered that refugees that had undergone training were not allowed to obtain their commercial driver's license (CDL) from the DMV, and that the issue could not be fixed through regulation but had to be addressed through legislation. The issue is that Alaska does not have a provision for a nondomicile license or instructor's permit. Amendment 1 would correct this oversight. 12:40:41 PM MS. MORLEDGE, in response to Representative Fields, offered her understanding that adopting Amendment 1 would not result in increased cost. 12:40:55 PM CHAIR C. JOHNSON removed his objection. There being no further objection, Amendment 1 was adopted. 12:41:19 PM REPRESENTATIVE TILTON moved to report HCS CSSB 95, Version 33- LS0517\R, C. Radford, 5/10/24, as amended, out of committee with individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal notes. There being no objection, HCS CSSB 95(RLS) was reported out of the House Rules Standing Committee. SB 95-LIC. PLATES: SPECIALTY ORGS/PEACE OFFICER  12:45:51 PM CHAIR C. JOHNSON [announced the committee would return to SB 95] and invited Representative Tilton to speak. 12:45:54 PM REPRESENTATIVE TILTON requested a message sent that Legislative Legal Services be allowed to make any conforming and technical changes to HCS CSSB 95(RLS). There being no objection, it was so ordered.