SB 190-MINORS TRAVELING ALONE BY AIR  1:14:36 PM CHAIR ALBERT KOOKESH announced SB 190 to be up for consideration. SENATOR DONALD OLSON moved to adopt CSSB 190, labeled 25- LS1061\C. There were no objections and it was so ordered. DAVE STANCLIFF, staff to Senator Therriault, sponsor of SB 190, said the CS addressed a couple of concerns that were raised at the last committee meeting. One was regarding carriers that operate only in-the state and recognizing that a lot of people in rural Alaska move about without having the opportunity to comply with the provisions in the bill. So on page 1, line 8, language was inserted saying "receiving a ticket to a destination outside the state from an airline employee" and on page 2, lines 3-5 a new provision was added saying: (c) The provisions of (a) of this section do not apply to a state resident not younger than 13 years of age and not older than 17 years of age who is in legal or physical custody of the state. MR. STANCLIFF said a memo from the Department of Law commented on constitutionality that would be taken up in the Judiciary Committee. SENATOR OLSON asked if he had talked to other carriers that provide out-of-state service or to White Horse, for instance. MR. STANCLIFF replied no; he assumed people traveling out of the country would already need the proper credentials. SENATOR OLSON said the question has to do more with permission from the parents and the burden that would put on the small carriers that aren't even certificated in the United States, like Air North. MR. STANCLIFF said research has found that some carriers like Qantas require IDs for people of every age just because they don't want the liability of having something happen to a minor. Era Aviation has different standards than Alaska Airlines, but the one thing they all have in common is there is something magical about the age 13, because under that age, all carriers require some kind of ID or permission slip. But from ages 13 to 17 there is a gap. They hoped carriers would see this legislation as favorable in terms of limiting their liability should anything happen to a minor that doesn't have proper ID or permission to be on a flight that goes down. 1:19:32 PM CHAIR KOOKESH asked his impression of the Alaska Air Carriers Association letter that wasn't favorable. MR. STANCLIFF replied their position was well-taken with regard to the types of flying they do and also some of their concerns no longer applied with the adoption of the CS. CHAIR KOOKESH said they had a copy of the CS at the time they issued their position. MR. STANCLIFF replied that he couldn't understand their opposition. SENATOR OLSON said his other concern was that the DMV in Nome has had its office closed because no one was hired to work there and residents were concerned about just being able to get an ID. MR. STANCLIFF said Alaska Airlines expressed some logistical concerns they would have if this were implemented. Their objections were based on the fact that Alaskans should not go further than what is required under the TSA and existing airline regulations. His research into what other airlines have indicates that their policies are all over the place. Many air carriers are stricter than TSA and he thought it was a liability issue. SENATOR COWDERY said the Alaska Airlines people he talked to last Saturday definitely oppose this bill, but he wanted to ask if a young person needs written permission to fly. MR. STANCLIFF replied yes. SENATOR COWDERY said that he remembers that kids forged a lot of names in their school days for less important things and asked how those signatures would be verified. He thought the bill needed more work. MR. STANCLIFF replied there is no way to guarantee a child won't get on board an aircraft and forge anything. 1:25:30 PM MIKE LESMANN, Manager, Community Relations and Legislative Liaison, Office of Children's Services, Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS), supported CSSB 190(TRA) and primarily the language that exempts children in the custody of DHSS. He said that kids in the state's custody are not unaccompanied; they are sometimes with their biological parent or a blood relative, a foster parent or one of his staff. They have paper work with them and if the bill became law in its current form, it might make it difficult for the department to act in a child's interest quickly. SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI asked if the Palin Administration supported the bill. MR. LESMANN answered that he could only address the exemption in the CS for the DHSS. SENATOR COWDERY held to his opinion that the bill needed more work. SENATOR OLSON said he was not in favor of bill. CHAIR KOOKESH said he wanted a little more time to spend with the air carriers association to alleviate some of their concerns and held SB 190.