CSHB 184(FIN) - MOTOR VEHICLES-LICENSE/INSURANCE/IMPOUND  10:09:11 AM CHAIR MCGUIRE announced the consideration of HB 184. [Before the committee was CSHB 184(FIN).] REPRESENTATIVE BOB ROSES, Alaska State Legislature, sponsor of HB 184, introduced his staff and others that worked on the bill. JOSH APPLEBEE, staff to Representative Roses, said HB 184 brings the "Support Our Troops" commemorative license plate to Alaska. The plate has an additional fee attached that is collected and then may be appropriated by the legislature to Support our Troops (SOT) for redistribution in Alaska. SOT Inc., would establish an Alaska disbursement board for determining the best manner in which to disperse the funds. Local control of funds dispersement is an essential part of the bill. Support our troops plates have been issued in twenty states through the efforts of SOT with several more in process around the country. MR. APPLEBEE noted that committee members should have a synopsis sheet of changes in Sections 1, 2, 4, and 6-9 that have been made as the bill has moved through committees. He quickly summarized the changes. 10:13:17 AM SENATOR BUNDE noted that there is an amendment. CHAIR MCGUIRE said she wants to hear testimony before considering the amendment. She asked Mr. Applebee to provide an opinion on the amendment. MR. APPLEBEE said some language was altered in House Finance that created a possible constitutional problem around creating a dedicated fund. Legal Services has provided some language to address that issue. Additionally, there is a language change that recognizes the copyrighted use of the term "Support our Troops." 10:15:02 AM MARTIN BOIRE, Chair, Support our Troops, Inc., testified in favor of HB 184. He said the license plate is a simple means for civilians to "honor our moral obligation to our neighbors" by assisting families of service men and women deployed for a natural disaster, a peace keeping mission, or a war. CHAIR MCGUIRE thanked Mr. Boire for putting his compassion into action. She is sympathetic towards families who are impacted by relatives deployed for extended duty in Iraq. 10:17:42 AM DUANE BANNOCK, Director, Division of Motor Vehicles, Department of Administration, Anchorage, said he supports the bill. CHAIR MCGUIRE asked if the program set up for anatomical gift donations was working. MR. BANNOCK said it is halfway working. He said the collection of the donations is working well but what the state does with the money after collection needs improvement. CHAIR MCGUIRE asked if the money is going back to the anatomical gift awareness program. MR. BANNOCK replied no; the money is not going anywhere. CHAIR MCGUIRE asked what action is needed to get the donations to the program. MR. BANNOCK said legislation is needed to direct the money where it needs to go. CHAIR MCGUIRE asked if the funding mechanism in this bill will work better than the anatomical gift awareness program. 10:19:32 AM MR. BANNOCK said only the legislature has the ability to appropriate money. He believes this bill is written correctly and that a bill will come forward in the future to correct the problem with anatomical gift money. CHAIR MCGUIRE asked if there is a simple sentence that could be included in this bill to address the anatomical gift money appropriation. MR. BANNOCK said he was not prepared to address this issue, but would like to pursue it further. CHAIR MCGUIRE asked the bill sponsor if he was amenable to adding a floor amendment. Hearing agreement from the sponsor Senator McGuire asked Mr. Bannock to work with her staff on an amendment and submit it to her as quickly as possible. 10:21:04 AM SENATOR GREEN asked if Section 9 was added during the committee process. MR. APPLEBEE answered yes; it was added in House Finance committee. SENATOR GREEN asked if the legislation passed on May 9 in the Senate dealing with the accumulation of fines, is duplicated in Section 9 of this bill. MR. APPLEBEE answered no; the language in this bill adds the cost of towing to the accumulation of fees when a crime is committed. CHAIR MCGUIRE asked if the "scofflaw bill" was connected to alcohol related crimes. MR. BANNOCK replied yes. CHAIR MCGUIRE said this is a separate provision. This change would clarify that for alcohol related crimes when a vehicle is impounded the person that committed the crime will pay the cost of towing. 10:22:37 AM SENATOR GREEN asked for clarification of the language on page 4, line 9, of the bill. CHAIR MCGUIRE called an at-ease at 10:23 AM. 10:24:50 AM. CHAIR MCGUIRE called the committee back to order. CHAIR MCGUIRE said HB 184 would be set aside to the call of the chair to work on a technical point in Section 28.40.080. CHAIR MCGUIRE closed public testimony on HB 184. SENATOR GREEN moved Amendment 1 as follows: Page 3, line 1, following "Inc.,": Insert "approves the use of the terms and" Page 3, lines 20 - 21: Delete "solely for the purpose of providing benefits within the State of Alaska to" Insert "to the organization for which the specialty license plate was purchased for the benefit of Alaska" CHAIR MCGUIRE announced there were no objections therefore Amendment 1 carried. CHAIR MCGUIRE set CSHB 184(FIN) as amended aside to the call of the chair. CSHB 184(FIN) - MOTOR VEHICLES-LICENSE/INSURANCE/IMPOUND  4:25:00 PM CHAIR MCGUIRE called the meeting back to order. Senators Green, French, and McGuire were present at the call to order. CHAIR MCGUIRE brought amended CSHB 184(FIN) back before the committee. CHAIR MCGUIRE moved Amendment 2 to CSHB 184(FIN) referred to as version L.3/Luckhaupt as follows: Page 1, line 3: Delete "mandatory impoundments of vehicles used in certain offenses," Page 1, line 5, following "persons;": Insert "relating to the anatomical gift awareness fund;" Page 1, following line 6: Insert a new bill section to read: "* Section 1. AS 13.50.160(d) is amended to read: (d) Money appropriated to or for use by the fund may be spent for the purposes of the fund without further appropriation. The annual estimated balance in the account may be appropriated by the legislature to Life Alaska Inc." Page 1, line 7: Delete "Section 1" Insert "Sec. 2" Renumber the following bill sections accordingly. Page 4, lines 9 - 17: Delete all material. Renumber the following bill section accordingly. Page 4, line 18: Delete "Sections 2 - 5" Insert "Sections 3 - 6" Senator Green objected for explanation. CHAIR MCGUIRE said the amendment addresses the problem with the appropriation of money from the anatomical gift donation program. The amendment also deletes subsection 9. SENATOR GREEN withdrew her objection. 4:26:44 PM SENATOR FRENCH asked why subsection 9 was being deleted. CHAIR MCGUIRE replied that removing the section would remove the cost of towing. SENATOR FRENCH clarified that 28.40.080 was not a current statute. This amendment would remove the subsection so there won't be a provision for impoundment of motor vehicles. CHAIR MCGUIRE said it could be added to the crime package. SENATOR FRENCH said that was a good idea. CHAIR MCGUIRE said the intent is to set up the anatomical gift donation fund the same way as the support our troops fund. When a person donates to a cause the money should be end up there. Hearing no further objection to Amendment 2 it was adopted bringing the bill as amended before the committee. 4:28:36 PM SENATOR GREEN moved to report HB 184 as amended from committee with individual recommendations and accompanying fiscal notes. There being no objections, SCS CSHB 184(STA) moved from the Senate State Affairs Committee. SENATOR GREEN moved to report the title change resolution along with amended HB 184 from committee. There being no objections, the motion carried.