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.