SB 194-ALLOW ELECTRONIC DRIVERS' LICENSES AND ID                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
4:28:29 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR   SHOWER  reconvened   the   meeting   and  announced   the                                                               
consideration  of  SENATE  BILL  NO.  194  "An  Act  relating  to                                                               
electronic identification cards;  relating to electronic drivers'                                                               
licenses  and  permits;  relating   to  motor  vehicle  liability                                                               
insurance; and providing for an effective date."                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
He noted that  this was the second hearing and  the intention was                                                               
to  take  public  testimony.  He  asked Mr.  Relay  to  give  the                                                               
committee a high level summary of the bill.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
4:29:17 PM                                                                                                                    
STUART  RELAY,  Staff,  Senator   Scott  Kawasaki,  Alaska  State                                                               
Legislature,  Juneau, Alaska,  stated that  the bill  would allow                                                               
Alaskans  to  carry  an  electronic  version  of  their  driver's                                                               
license, driver's  permit, or state identification  card. It also                                                               
amends the current fee structure for licenses.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
MR.  RELAY explained  that in  response to  to Senator  Holland's                                                               
question  about  the  fees other  states  charge  for  electronic                                                               
driver's  licenses,  he  learned  from  NCSL  that  eight  states                                                               
authorize electronic  driver's licenses. Of those,  just two have                                                               
information about the  fees. The State of  Oklahoma charges $4.49                                                               
annually and  the State of  Louisiana has authorized a  $6.00 fee                                                               
but currently does not charge anything.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
4:31:31 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR SHOWER asked how an  electronic driver's license would work                                                               
in situations where REAL ID is required.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
MR. RELAY offered  his understanding that it would  be similar to                                                               
using one's  phone to scan  a boarding  pass. He deferred  to the                                                               
representative  from the  Division  of Motor  Vehicles (DMV)  for                                                               
further information.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
4:32:39 PM                                                                                                                    
JEFFREY  SCHMITZ,  Director,  Division of  Motor  Vehicles  (DMV)                                                               
Department  of Administration  (DOA),  Anchorage, Alaska,  stated                                                               
that DMV expects that the  licensing and application requirements                                                               
for REAL  ID will  remain the  same whether  it is  an electronic                                                               
format  or  a hard  card  format.  What  happens currently  at  a                                                               
Transportation Security  Administration (TSA) checkpoint  is that                                                               
the  barcode information  on the  physical card  is scanned.  The                                                               
electronic  driver's   license  on  somebody's  phone   would  be                                                               
similarly scanned.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SHOWER  asked if he  foresees any problem for  somebody who                                                               
is  traveling  domestically  or   internationally  with  just  an                                                               
electronic driver's license  on their phone and  no other picture                                                               
identification.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
4:34:05 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR SCOTT  KAWASAKI, speaking as sponsor,  said international                                                               
travel was  not considered  when the bill  was drafted.  He noted                                                               
that when  his office was  doing research on  electronic driver's                                                               
licenses they  learned that some  states say they are  federal ID                                                               
compliant and others don't mention it.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SHOWER said he'd like more information about that.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
MS. RELAY said that NCSL  relayed that the Department of Homeland                                                               
Security  was  in the  process  of  establishing rules  regarding                                                               
electronic REAL  IDs and  how they would  be implemented  for the                                                               
department, which includes TSA.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SHOWER  asked if he had  reached out to law  enforcement to                                                               
get their view of electronic driver's licenses.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
4:35:54 PM                                                                                                                    
MR. RELAY replied that they had  not heard from the Department of                                                               
Public Safety or law enforcement personnel.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  SHOWER  said  he  would like  to  hear  law  enforcement's                                                               
perspective.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR. RELAY agreed to follow up with that information.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR COSTELLO  suggested the committee invite  law enforcement                                                               
from states  that have  implemented electronic  driver's licenses                                                               
to testify.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
4:37:12 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR SHOWER  opened public testimony  on SB 194;  finding none                                                               
he closed public testimony.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SHOWER held SB 194 in committee.