SENATE LABOR AND COMMERCE COMMITTEE May 11, 1998 4:05 P.M. MEMBERS PRESENT Senator Loren Leman, Chairman Senator Jerry Mackie, Vice Chairman Senator Tim Kelly Senator Mike Miller MEMBERS ABSENT Senator Lyman Hoffman COMMITTEE CALENDAR SENATE CS FOR CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 12(TRA) "An Act relating to civil liability for commercial recreational activities and certain skating and cycling activities; and providing for an effective date." - PASSED SCS CSHB 12(TRA) FROM COMMITTEE PREVIOUS SENATE COMMITTEE ACTION HB 12 - No previous action to record. WITNESS REGISTER Mr. Darwin Peterson, Aide Representative Gary Davis State Capitol Bldg. Juneau, AK 99811-1182 POSITION STATEMENT: Aide to sponsor of HB 12. Mr. Kevin Ritchie Alaska Municipal League 217 2nd Street Juneau, AK 99801 POSITION STATEMENT: Supported HB 12. ACTION NARRATIVE TAPE 98-29, SIDE A Number 001 HB 12 - IMMUNITY FOR EQUINE ACTIVITIES CHAIRMAN LEMAN called the Senate Labor and Commerce Committee meeting to order at 4:05 p.m. and announced HB 12 to be up for consideration. MR. DARWIN PETERSON, Aide to Representative Gary Davis, said HB 12 was introduced to provide some protection and an increased degree of immunity from civil liability lawsuits for operators of commercial recreational activities and for municipalities that engage in skating and cycling parks. He reviewed the two sections of the bill for the Committee. MR. PETERSON said the Alaska Municipal League supports this legislation because a lot of communities want to open up skate board and cycling parks, but are reluctant to do so because of the liability. CHAIRMAN LEMAN asked if the bill still included equine activities as it had when introduced. MR. PETERSON said it was broadened to include all outdoor commercial recreational activities. CHAIRMAN LEMAN asked who changed the bill. MR. PETERSON answered that the House passed the version that included commercial recreational activities and municipalities. It was amended on the House floor to include municipalities. CHAIRMAN LEMAN asked what changed in Senate Transportation. MR. PETERSON answered there was one amendment on page 1, line 5 where they deleted, "persons who operate" and inserted "operators of" to provide conformity throughout the whole legislation, so a municipality could be covered for all activities, like rock climbing. Number 70 MR. KEVIN RITCHIE, Alaska Municipal League, said this has been a priority issue for the Municipal League and the Conference of Mayors for a number of years. CHAIRMAN LEMAN asked if anyone was opposed to this bill. There was no indication of any. SENATOR KELLY moved to pass SCSCSHB 12(TRA) from Committee with individual recommendations. There were no objections and it was so ordered. CHAIRMAN LEMAN adjourned the meeting at 4:10 p.m.