Alaska State Legislature
News from the House Majority

Jerry Ritter, House Majority Press Secretary
State Capitol
Juneau, AK 99801
Phone: (907) 465-3804
web site: http://www.akrepublicans.org
Actuality line: 1-800-478-6540

Snow Clearing Bill Clears House

Bill Sets Conditions for Private Maintenance of State Highways

For Immediate Release April 20, 1998 Contact: Rep. Beverly Masek at (907) 465-2679.

Juneau -- The Alaska House of Representatives Monday cleared the way for the State to regulate private contractors who undertake the maintenance of state highways. House Bill 361 cleared the House 30-9.

"The impetus behind this bill was a situation in my district in which a private company began maintaining a state highway which had been closed for the winter," said Representative Beverly Masek (R-Willow), who sponsored HB 361. "There were numerous complaints from the public, who said they were having problems accessing recreational lands and private property. The root of the problem was that there are no regulations or laws which hold private contractors to any standards in situations of this kind," Masek said.

HB 361 gives the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities the statutory ability to regulate these types of operations and establishes minimum standards for such work. It also makes clear that the state would not be liable if a contractor begins clearing a state highway and also makes clear that the state is not liable to pay the contractor for such work.

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