HB 354-AK CAPSTONE AVIONICS REVOLVING LOAN FUND  CHAIR PASKVAN announced HB 354 to be up for consideration. 1:34:19 PM REPRESENTATIVE WES KELLER, sponsor of HB 354, said he has heard no negatives about the Capstone Project. He said this FAA pilot program in Southeast and Southwest Alaska claimed a 47 percent reduction in accidents. Since then the challenge is to get all the aircraft equipped with the proper equipment. All HB 354 does is correct an oversight by making aircraft operators in the state who lease their aircraft eligible for the loan that was put in place for purchasing the equipment. SENATOR BUNDE asked if this revolving loan fund supports itself. REPRESENTATIVE KELLER answered yes and that HB 354 is supported by the Division of Investments in the Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development (DCCED). SENATOR BUNDE asked what the Capstone equipment costs. 1:36:18 PM MATT JOHNSON, staff to Representative Keller, answered that the upper end equipment costs around $15,000 and purchasers can borrow up to 80 percent of that which would be about $12,000. SENATOR BUNDE said that jibes with his memory; that amount is not something that someone would get on a lark. CHAIR PASKVAN closed public testimony. SENATOR THOMAS moved to report HB 354 from committee with individual recommendations and attached fiscal note(s). SENATOR BUNDE objected to note a possible conflict because he is an aircraft owner and could conceivably take advantage of this particularly if the price comes down substantially; then he removed his objection. There were no further objections and HB 354 moved from committee. 1:38:40 PM CHAIR PASKVAN announced an at ease from 1:38 to 1:39 p.m. 1:39:46 PM CHAIR PASKVAN called the meeting back to order at 1:39 p.m.