SB 123-RETIREMENT SYSTEMS; DEFINED BENEFIT OPT.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
2:24:27 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR  BJORKMAN   reconvened  the   meeting  and   announced  the                                                               
consideration  of  SENATE  BILL  NO.  123  "An  Act  relating  to                                                               
commercial  motor  vehicle  drivers'  license  requirements;  and                                                               
providing for an effective date."                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
He invited Senator Kaufman to put  himself on the record and give                                                               
a recap of the bill.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
2:24:44 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  JAMES KAUFMAN,  District  F,  Alaska State  Legislature,                                                               
Juneau, Alaska, sponsor of SB 123,  provided a recap of the bill.                                                               
He said that  essentially this bill removes  the requirement that                                                               
someone hold a  license for a year before being  able to train as                                                               
a  professional  truck  driver  through  an  approved  CDL  truck                                                               
driving course.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
2:25:22 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR BISHOP asked  Mr. Crum if an 18-year-old can  drive a set                                                               
of B  trains hauling 166,000 pounds  of ore on a  federal highway                                                               
with the passage of SB 123.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
2:26:07 PM                                                                                                                    
JOEY   CRUM,  Chief   Executive   Officer,  Northern   Industrial                                                               
Training, Palmer,  Alaska, responded  to questions about  SB 123.                                                               
He answered no. Even though a CDL  can be obtained at age 18, one                                                               
cannot participate in interstate commerce until the age of 21.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR BISHOP said thank you. He  read from Section 6 and stated                                                               
that he believed his question had been answered.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
2:27:37 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR  BJORKMAN opened  public testimony  on SB  123; finding  no                                                               
testifiers, he closed public testimony.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
2:28:21 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  DUNBAR  moved  to  adopt Amendment  1,  work  order  33-                                                               
LS0723\A.2, for SB 123.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
                                                 33-LS0721\A.2                                                                  
                                                      Radford                                                                   
                                                      4/15/23                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
                          AMENDMENT 1                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
                     OFFERED IN THE SENATE                                                                                      
          TO:  SB 123                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
     Page 2, line 6:                                                                                                            
          Delete "January 20, 2024"                                                                                             
          Insert "immediately under AS 01.10.070(c)"                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR BJORKMAN objected for purposes of discussion.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR DUNBAR explained Amendment 1.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  BJORKMAN  removed  his  objection.  He  found  no  further                                                               
objection and Amendment 1 was adopted.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
2:29:43 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR DUNBAR  added his belief that  SB 123 is a  positive step                                                               
forward  and   thanked  Senator   Kaufman  and  his   allies  for                                                               
introducing the bill.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
2:30:09 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR BISHOP  moved to report  SB 123, work  order 33-LS0721\A,                                                               
as amended,  from committee  with individual  recommendations and                                                               
attached fiscal note(s).                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR BJORKMAN found no objection  and CSSB 123(L&C) was reported                                                               
from the Senate Labor and Commerce Standing Committee.