HOUSE BILL NO. 131 "An Act establishing the Alaska Community and Public Transportation Advisory Board and relating to a long- range community and public transportation plan; and providing for an effective date." 8:52:54 AM REPRESENTATIVE CATHY MUNOZ, SPONSOR, explained the legislation. House Bill 131 established a permanent task force coordinating community based transportation. The task force was first established by Governor Palin and continued by Governor Parnell. The task force would become a permanent advisory board. The task force would address public and community transportation needs and serve people with specialized travel requirements, such as seniors, low income individuals, the transit dependent and persons with disabilities. She listed the groups supporting the legislation: the Alaska Mobility Coalition, the Governor's Council on Disabilities and Special Education, Advisory Board on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse, the Alaska Commission on Aging, Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority, Alaska Brain Injury Network, and the Alaska Suicide Prevention Council. She added that the board would consist of 13 members. The fiscal note totaled $110 thousand per fiscal year comprised of: $90 thousand in federal funds, $10 thousand state match, and $10 thousand in general fund money from the Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority. Co-Chair Stoltze OPENED public testimony. DAVID LEVIE, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, ALASKA MOBILITY COALITION (via teleconference), spoke in support of the HB 131. He described his organization. The Alaska Mobility Coalition (AMC) was a statewide private non-profit that represented and advocated for community transportation needs. The coalition felt that the legislation was a great step towards coordinating transportation statewide. He pointed out that transportation in Alaska was unique, and the task force was a first step in state involvement. 8:56:56 AM Co-Chair Stoltze remarked that the task force was funded by an 80 percent to 20 percent match of federal and state funds. He warned that federal funds were facing budget cuts. He qualified that his support of the legislation was based on the large federal match. Mr. Levie recognized the concern. He was informed that support for community and public transportation from the federal government would continue. Representative Gara acknowledged Mr. Levie's hard work on providing transportation for people with disabilities and other transportation challenges. Representative Munoz noted that the legislation provided a sunset date of December 31, 2016. JEFF OTTESEN, DIRECTOR, PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC FACILITIES, spoke in support of HB 131. He defined coordinated transportation. He informed the committee that approximately 60 federal programs funded community transportation; the dollars flow through state government to non-profits and local government to deliver the services. The lack of coordination resulted in multiple individualized service providers without integration to share services. The result was a dysfunctional, unorganized system. Coordinated transportation would integrate the services at the local level to create efficient use of the resources. The efficiencies would save federal and state money and provide improved service for Alaskans. 9:00:37 AM Mr. Ottesen furthered that it was difficult for the various state and local entities and non-profits to coordinate and "work across their natural boundaries". He believed that a board was necessary to achieve coordinated community transportation services. He explained that a coordinating body would break down barriers and make community transportation more practical. He exemplified a story from task force public testimony. He related that an elderly woman from rural Alaska traveled to Anchorage for medical purposes. She was wheelchair bound and was unable to obtain community transport. She had to travel to her destinations by ambulance. Each ambulance trip cost over $1 thousand. He surmised that coordinated transport provided a notable opportunity for savings. CAMILLE FERGUSON, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR, SITKA TRIBE OF ALASKA (via teleconference), testified in support of the legislation. She revealed that she served on the transportation taskforce and oversaw a coordinated public transportation operation in Sitka. She related that the taskforce was examining community need, available resources, and identifying the barriers to coordination. She discovered much unmet need. She believed the taskforce was very important to the entire state. A permanent taskforce could implement the work the taskforce accomplished. She felt all special needs should be analyzed and carefully considered. 9:04:58 AM Co-Chair Stoltze CLOSED public testimony. Co-Chair Thomas MOVED to report CSHB 131(TRA) out of Committee with individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal note. There being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered. CSHB 131(TRA)was REPORTED out of Committee with a "do pass" recommendation and with attached new fiscal impact note by the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities. 9:06:56 AM AT EASE 9:08:08 AM RECONVENED