SHES - 3/2/95 SB 86 COMMEMORATIVE GOLD RUSH LICENSE PLATES  Number 420 CHAIRMAN RIEGER introduced SB 86 as the next order of business before the committee. He recognized that the Department of Public Safety was present for questions. CAM TOOHEY, staff to Senator Sharp, stated that SB 86 is similar to the legislation of last year; SB 86 does have a minor change. SB 86 would allow individuals to celebrate the Gold Rush with the purchase of a commemorative license plate. The license plate would be designed by the commissioner and the Office of Public Safety in accord with the Gold Rush Task Force. He acknowledged that the representative from the Department of Public Safety may want to address an amendment that would decrease the fiscal note. SENATOR ADAMS inquired as to what was added to this legislation when it was HB 407 which was vetoed by former Governor Hickel. CAM TOOHEY explained that HB 407 removed the need for two license plates. SENATOR ADAMS noted the $17.4 fiscal note, when stating that he had the understanding that the sale of special license plates would absorb the cost of producing them. Perhaps, the cost of these special license plates could be raised in order to cover the cost of producing them or the sale of special plates could be eliminated. JUANITA HENSLEY, the Division of Motor Vehicles, stated that in the past, the costs to produce special plates have not been recovered in their sale. She did note that the Veteran's license plate has recovered the cost to produce it. She suggested deleting the language on line 9, "and color" in order to decrease the fiscal impact of SB 86. Ms. Hensley explained that deleting this language would allow the use of their existing stock of reflective material rather than purchasing a roll for $12,500. Reflective material must be purchased by the roll and an order of 1,000 plates must be present before the order can be placed. Deleting this language would reduce the costs; the cost of the metal and the design of the plate would be the only costs. SENATOR TAYLOR asked if the Ms. Hensley had reviewed the possibility of plating license plates, a chrome or gold-plated license plate. He suggested that she investigate that option. Number 487 SENATOR ADAMS asked if the Alaska Gold Rush Centennial Task Force was in place. CAM TOOHEY replied yes; the task force which is a volunteer organization has been in existence since 1992. SENATOR LINCOLN inquired as to the cost of the Al-Can Centennial license plate because it seems parallel to this plate. JUANITA HENSLEY explained that the commemoration of the 50th year of the Alaska Highway plate was developed by private industry. Through legislation, the license plate was allowed placement on a vehicle for one year only. SENATOR LINCOLN inquired as to the difference in the process of the two plates. SENATOR SHARP felt that the Commemorative Gold Rush plates could be permanent plates; this may be one of the few manners in which to receive a new plate. JUANITA HENSLEY stated that depending on the design and the color of the license plate, the plate would replace an existing plate. She explained that this license plate would cost $30 plus the normal registration fee; this is similar to a vanity and a personalized plate. SENATOR LINCOLN asked what the fiscal note for SB 86 would be if the existing stock of reflective material was used. JUANITA HENSLEY said that the fiscal note would decrease by approximately $5,800. SENATOR LINCOLN questioned why the commissioner would determine the design of this plate; why not the Alaska Gold Rush Centennial Task Force. CAM TOOHEY informed the committee that the Division of Motor Vehicles wanted the commissioner to have the authority in order to eliminate the possibility of an expensive design or a design that would be too difficult to see by law enforcement. SENATOR ADAMS asked if there would be uniformity in the cost of this plate in relation to other specialty plates. JUANITA HENSLEY specified that a vanity plate costs $30 and a custom plate costs $50, both requiring the normal registration fees as well. She offered to share the list of all the specialty plates and their accounts with the committee. SENATOR TAYLOR agreed that the commissioner should oversee the designing process. Number 546 JUANITA HENSLEY emphasized that the reflectablility and the readability of the license plate would be important for law enforcement as well as the public. The University license plate is hard to read and its design did not have oversight by the commissioner. SENATOR TAYLOR agreed and recounted his experience with this University plate. CHAIRMAN RIEGER asked if the language needed to be deleted if the commissioner could dictate that the color would come from the existing stock of reflective materials. JUANITA HENSLEY felt that deleting the language would eliminate the possibility of using other colors. SENATOR ADAMS inquired as to Senator Sharp's opinion with regard to the deletion of the language. SENATOR SHARP stated that it would be acceptable; this suggestion would save money. SENATOR TAYLOR moved to delete the language "and color" on line 9 of SB 86. Without objection, the amendment was adopted. SENATOR LINCOLN asked if the fiscal note would reflect the amendment. CHAIRMAN RIEGER assured the committee that the deletion would be pointed out to the Finance Committee. JUANITA HENSLEY stated that the fiscal note would be re-worked. She indicated the need to have the estimated number of purchasers of this license plate, then the revenue that the department would collect could be presented as well. SENATOR ADAMS moved that CS SB 86(TRA), with its new fiscal note, be moved out of committee with individual recommendations. Without objections, it was so ordered.