HB 16-DRIV. LICENSE REQ; DISABILITY: ID & TRAINING    5:38:25 PM CHAIR DUNLEAVY announced the consideration of HB 16. He noted that public testimony was taken and closed during the March 9 meeting. He noted that there is a CS for consideration. 5:38:41 PM SENATOR GIESSEL moved to adopt the [Senate] CS for HB 16, work order 30-LS0194\D, as the working document. CHAIR DUNLEAVY objected for discussion purposes. 5:38:55 PM CHRISTA MCDONALD, Staff, Senator Mike Dunleavy, Alaska State Legislature, Juneau, Alaska, explained the changes to the bill made from the proposed CS as follows: On page 3, lines 30-31, we changed the wording, it used to read, "duties and responsibilities," and we have revised that to read, "The rights and responsibilities of drivers when encountering or being stopped by a peace officer." We removed the requirement for the department to examine every applicant for a driver's license on the knowledge of duties and responsibilities. The knowledge of your rights and responsibilities will still be in the handbook. On page 4, line 10, we added "naturopath" to the list of licensed individuals who can provide proof of disabilities; it was brought to our attention that they deal with a lot of traumatic brain injury, patients and that sort of thing and they thought it was appropriate to add them to the list. 5:39:45 PM CHAIR DUNLEAVY removed his objection. He announced that without objection, version D was adopted. 5:40:06 PM LYNETTE BERGH, Staff, Representative Steve Thompson, Alaska State Legislature, Juneau, Alaska, stated that the sponsor, Representative Thompson, agreed with the changes made in the Senate CS for HB 16. 5:40:35 PM SENATOR GIESSEL moved to report the Senate CS for HB 16, work order 30-LS0194\D, from committee with individual recommendations and attached fiscal note(s). CHAIR DUNLEAVY asked if there was an objection to moving the bill out of committee. SENATOR WILSON declared that he objected and explained as follows: I am all in favor of the first major-two components of this bill, having law enforcement be educated upon how to deal with different mental health first aid. I am supportive of teaching young folks or folks coming to Alaska who may just not know how to properly deal with law enforcement or the best practices for that as well. I'm just a little leery upon designating this upon a license without some more clear definitions of sort of the hidden disabilities, there's a lot of areas. I understand that this is an optional item that one can choose to go into, but it may not seem optional for those that may be under the influence or sort of control over someone that may have a payee, for example, or someone that may be under conservatorship, or may still be an 18-year-old that is still in state custody through the Office of Children's Services or Adult Protective Services, those placed in nursing homes that may not be able to have that optional right as well. Moreover, I'm just a little concerned upon the liability this lends itself to. If I get pulled over and I feel that I was treated unfairly, and I had a disability and I felt that the law enforcement officer did not treat me in a way that I felt that was more respectable to my condition or illness, then that may open itself up to additional litigation and suits. You know, at the time I went to speak to Representative Thompson and was not able to get that opportunity to ask sort of how this ID would make the effects of some of those more recent cases we heard in the news. With that Mr. Chair, I oppose this bill based upon those grounds, but I will remove my objection. 5:42:46 PM CHAIR DUNLEAVY acknowledged that Senator Wilson removed his objection. He asked Ms. Bergh to confirm that the legislation is optional for individuals. MS. BERGH affirmed that it is voluntary. 5:42:59 PM CHAIR DUNLEAVY announced that without objection, SCS HB 16(STA) moved out of the Senate State Affairs Standing Committee with individual recommendations and attached fiscal note(s).