SB 59-LOW- SPEED MOTOR VEHICLES  1:15:11 PM CHAIR KOOKESH announced the consideration of SB 59. He recapped that during the first hearing the administration expressed concern about certain parts of the bill and he asked the sponsor's office to work with DOTPF to find a compromise. 1:15:23 PM DARWIN PETERSON, Staff to Senator Stedman, said they took direction from the Chair and worked on a committee substitute. CHAIR KOOKESH asked for a motion to adopt the committee substitute (CS). SENATOR MENARD moved to adopt the CS for SB 59, labeled 26- LS0280\S, as the working document. There being no objection, version S was before the committee. MR. PETERSON explained that Section 1 maintains the existing law prohibiting low-speed vehicles to operate on highways with a posted speed of 35 miles an hour or higher. "It's still an opt out for municipalities if they choose not to allow that," he said. Section 2 adds a new subsection to allow the operation of low-speed vehicles on highways with a maximum posted speed of 45 miles an hour: in municipalities that have a population of less than 25,000; that are not connected by road to Anchorage or Fairbanks; and that have passed an ordinance to allow the operation of low-speed vehicles. CHAIR KOOKESH asked to hear from the administration. 1:18:03 PM ROGER HEALY, Chief Engineer, Division of Design & Engineering Services, Department of Transportation & Public Facilities (DOTPF) and Kurt Smith, Traffic and Safety Engineer, DOTPF introduced themselves. MR. HEALY said his earlier testimony touched on the concern about differences in mean speed and the new CS addresses that. "By all accounts it maintains existing law within municipalities," he added. With respect to the current draft, DOTPF continues to have concern about where the bill intends to go, so they asked the Department of Law to provide an interpretation. DOTPF reads Section 2, subsection (d)(1) to say that areas of the state outside of municipalities would allow low-speed vehicles. Under that reading low-speed vehicles would be allowed within the contiguous road system of Delta Junction, Nenana and Glennallen, and DOTPF does not promote a mix of low- speed vehicles and high-speed vehicles in those areas. He suggested that a minor modification to the language could address that concern. He doesn't believe it was the drafter's intent to include those areas. CHAIR KOOKESH asked if he brought that to the attention of the sponsor or the drafter. MR. HEALY replied it was mentioned in a phone call early this morning. CHAIR KOOKESH asked if the department would support, or not oppose, the bill if that modification were made. 1:20:45 PM MR. HEALY replied they would be more comfortable if the language in subsection (d) in Section 2 contained the same "may not operate" language that is contained in subsection (b) in Section 1. DOTPF basically views the "may operate" language to allow low-speed vehicles on highways with speeds of 55-60 miles per hour. CHAIR KOOKESH admonished the department for not working with the sponsor to develop language that both could agree on and asked why that didn't happen. MR. HEALY replied they were only able to get together last night to review the current language. CHAIR KOOKESH announced that if the committee didn't object, he would send the bill back for further work. He again asked the department and the sponsor to get together and find some resolution. It's a simple bill that applies to specific areas in the state. "Let's just get it done," he said. CHAIR KOOKESH held SB 59 in committee.