ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE  HOUSE TRANSPORTATION STANDING COMMITTEE  April 28, 2022 1:02 p.m. MEMBERS PRESENT Representative Grier Hopkins, Chair Representative Sara Hannan, Vice Chair Representative Harriet Drummond Representative Tom McKay Representative Kevin McCabe Representative Mike Cronk MEMBERS ABSENT  Representative Louise Stutes COMMITTEE CALENDAR  CONFIRMATION HEARING(S): - HEARD BOARD OF MARINE PILOTS CS FOR SENATE BILL NO. 203(FIN) "An Act designating the Alaska marine highway system and portions of the Parks, Glenn, Seward, and Sterling Highways as a part of the State's Purple Heart Trail and relating to signage and informational displays for the trail." - MOVED CSSB 203(FIN) OUT OF COMMITTEE PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION  BILL: SB 203 SHORT TITLE: PURPLE HEART TRAIL SPONSOR(s): SENATOR(s) REVAK 02/22/22 (S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS 02/22/22 (S) TRA, FIN 03/03/22 (S) TRA AT 1:30 PM BELTZ 105 (TSBldg) 03/03/22 (S) Moved SB 203 Out of Committee 03/03/22 (S) MINUTE(TRA) 03/04/22 (S) TRA RPT 2DP 1NR 03/04/22 (S) DP: MYERS, KIEHL 03/04/22 (S) NR: SHOWER 03/21/22 (S) FIN AT 1:00 PM SENATE FINANCE 532 03/21/22 (S) Heard & Held 03/21/22 (S) MINUTE(FIN) 03/23/22 (S) FIN AT 1:00 PM SENATE FINANCE 532 03/23/22 (S) Moved CSSB 203(FIN) Out of Committee 03/23/22 (S) MINUTE(FIN) 03/25/22 (S) FIN RPT CS 4DP 1NR NEW TITLE 03/25/22 (S) DP: BISHOP, HOFFMAN, WIELECHOWSKI, VON IMHOF 03/25/22 (S) NR: OLSON 04/11/22 (S) TRANSMITTED TO (H) 04/11/22 (S) VERSION: CSSB 203(FIN) 04/12/22 (H) TRA AT 1:00 PM BARNES 124 04/12/22 (H) -- MEETING CANCELED -- 04/13/22 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS 04/13/22 (H) TRA, FIN 04/14/22 (H) TRA AT 1:00 PM BARNES 124 04/14/22 (H) Heard & Held 04/14/22 (H) MINUTE(TRA) 04/28/22 (H) TRA AT 1:00 PM BARNES 124 WITNESS REGISTER JOSEPH TOUGAS, Appointee Board of Marine Pilots Seward, Alaska POSITION STATEMENT: Testified as appointee to the Board of Marine Pilots. EMMA TORKELSON, Staff Senator Josh Revak Alaska State Legislature Juneau, Alaska POSITION STATEMENT: Introduced SB 203 on behalf of Senator Josh Revak, prime sponsor. ACTION NARRATIVE 1:02:08 PM CHAIR GRIER HOPKINS called the House Transportation Standing Committee meeting to order at 1:02 p.m. Representatives Hopkins, Hannan, McCabe, McKay, and Cronk were present at the call to order. Representative Drummond arrived as the meeting was in progress. ^CONFIRMATION HEARING(S): CONFIRMATION HEARING(S):    ^Board of Marine Pilots Board of Marine Pilots    1:03:27 PM CHAIR HOPKINS announced that the first order of business would be the confirmation hearing on the governor's appointees to the Board of Marine Pilots. 1:04:57 PM JOSEPH TOUGAS, Appointee, Board of Marine Pilots, testified as appointee to the Board of Marine Pilots. He said his appointment was as a public member of the board. He said that he attended the California Maritime Academy and works on repairing tugboats and barges and has worked in the maritime industry for many years. 1:07:07 PM REPRESENTATIVE HANNAN asked Mr. Tougas whether his will be a reappointment. MR. TOUGAS answered no. In response to a follow-up question, he said that he has attended the first meeting of the board. 1:08:46 PM CHAIR HOPKINS noted that the other nominee, Les Cronk, would not be able to participate, but submitted a letter to the committee [included in the committee packet]. He stated that Mr. Cronk is from Ketchikan, Alaska, and has served for three terms under five different governors on the Board of Marine Pilots. 1:10:08 PM REPRESENTATIVE HANNAN stated that in accordance with AS 39.05.080, the Transportation Committee has reviewed the qualifications of the governor's appointees and recommends that the following names be forwarded to a joint session for consideration: Les Cronk and Joseph Tougas for the Board of Marine Pilots. A signature on this report does not reflect an intent by any of the members to vote for or against the confirmation of the individuals during any further sessions. 1:10:43 PM The committee took an at-ease from 1:10 p.m. to 1:12 p.m. SB 203-PURPLE HEART TRAIL  1:12:43 PM CHAIR HOPKINS announced that the final order of business would be SB 203, "An Act designating the Alaska marine highway system and portions of the Parks, Glenn, Seward, and Sterling Highways as a part of the State's Purple Heart Trail and relating to signage and informational displays for the trail." 1:13:10 PM EMMA TORKELSON, Staff, Senator Josh Revak, Alaska State Legislature, introduced SB 203 on behalf of Senator Josh Revak, prime sponsor. She stated that the bill would be a good way to support the military community of Alaska, particularly those who have earned the Purple Heart. She added that if the bill were passed, Alaska would have the longest Purple Heart Trail in the U.S. 1:14:12 PM REPRESENTATIVE MCCABE asked whether the bill has any other committee referrals. CHAIR HOPKINS answered that it has a referral to the House Finance Committee due to its sizable fiscal note. 1:14:41 PM REPRESENTATIVE HANNAN moved to report SB 203 out of committee with individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal notes. There being no objection, SB 203 was reported out of the House Transportation Standing Committee. 1:15:22 PM ADJOURNMENT  There being no further business before the committee, the House Transportation Standing Committee meeting was adjourned at 1:15 p.m.