ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
SENATE TRANSPORTATION STANDING COMMITTEE
April 6, 2016
8:29 a.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Senator Peter Micciche, Chair
Senator Click Bishop, Vice Chair
Senator Bert Stedman
Senator Dennis Egan
MEMBERS ABSENT
Senator Mike Dunleavy
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
CS FOR HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 17(TRA)
Supporting the aviation industry; and urging the governor to
make state-owned land available to the unmanned aircraft systems
industry for the management and operation of unmanned aircraft
systems and related research, manufacturing, testing, and
training.
- MOVED CSHCR 17(TRA) OUT OF COMMITTEE
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
BILL: HCR 17
SHORT TITLE: SUPPORT AVIATION INDUSTRY; USE STATE LAND
SPONSOR(s): REPRESENTATIVE(s) HUGHES
01/29/16 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
01/29/16 (H) TRA
02/02/16 (H) TRA AT 1:00 PM CAPITOL 17
02/02/16 (H) Heard & Held
02/02/16 (H) MINUTE(TRA)
02/04/16 (H) TRA AT 1:00 PM CAPITOL 17
02/04/16 (H) Moved CSHCR 17(TRA) Out of Committee
02/04/16 (H) MINUTE(TRA)
03/15/16 (H) TRA AT 1:00 PM CAPITOL 17
03/15/16 (H) Moved CSHCR 17(TRA) Out of Committee
03/15/16 (H) MINUTE(TRA)
03/16/16 (H) TRA RPT CS(TRA) 5DP 1NR
03/16/16 (H) DP: NAGEAK, STUTES, CLAMAN, HUGHES,
FOSTER
03/16/16 (H) NR: ORTIZ
03/21/16 (H) TRANSMITTED TO (S)
03/21/16 (H) VERSION: CSHCR 17(TRA)
03/23/16 (S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
03/23/16 (S) TRA, RES
04/06/16 (S) TRA AT 8:30 AM BUTROVICH 205
WITNESS REGISTER
REPRESENTATIVE SHELLEY HUGHES
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Sponsor of HCR 17.
ACTION NARRATIVE
8:29:40 AM
CHAIR PETER MICCICHE called the Senate Transportation Standing
Committee meeting to order at 8:29 a.m. Present at the call to
order were Senators Egan, Stedman, Bishop, and Chair Micciche.
HCR 17-SUPPORT AVIATION INDUSTRY; USE STATE LAND
8:30:27 AM
CHAIR MICCICHE announced the consideration of HCR 17 and noted a
further referral to the Senate Resources Committee. [CSHCR
17(TRA) was before the committee.]
8:30:51 AM
REPRESENTATIVE SHELLEY HUGHES, sponsor of HCR 17, thanked the
committee for hearing the resolution. She related that the
Unmanned Aircraft Systems Legislative Task Force which will
continue until June 30, 2017, is co-chaired by Senator Micciche
and herself. The task force's primary focus is privacy and
safety, however, HCR 17 does not pertain to that in particular.
One duty of the task force is to promote the unmanned aircraft
systems industry (UAS), and that is what HCR 17 is about. She
pointed out that Alaska has excellent potential for growth in
UAS.
8:32:08 AM
REPRESENTATIVE HUGHES listed the three purposes of HCR 17: it
encourages Alaska to welcome UAS to the state, it encourages the
establishment of local UAS businesses, and to make state lands,
as appropriate, available for research, manufacturing, testing,
training, management, and operations of those systems.
She noted when you compare the state of Alaska landholdings to
the entire U.S., it equals 5 percent of the U.S. If that land
were to be available to the industry, it would be advantageous
to it. Space is a rare commodity and it is appropriate to offer
it for the launching and landing of unmanned aircraft.
REPRESENTATIVE HUGHES concluded that HCR 17 is good for Alaska,
especially in light of the fiscal climate. It has potential for
many high-paying tech jobs. She encouraged the committee to pass
the resolution.
8:34:04 AM
CHAIR MICCICHE commented that he helped write the resolution and
thanked the sponsor for her work on it.
He opened public testimony and seeing no testifiers, closed it
again.
He concluded that HCR 17 is a simple resolution and he is in
support of it.
8:34:31 AM
SENATOR BISHOP moved to report CSHCR 17(TRA) from committee with
individual recommendations and attached zero fiscal note. There
being no objection, the motion carried.
8:35:07 AM
There being no further business to come before the committee,
Chair Micciche adjourned the Senate Transportation Standing
Committee at 8:35 a.m.