Alaska State Legislature
News from the House Majority

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

House Passes Measure Improving Highway Safety

Bill Updates State's Commercial Vehicle Inspection Law

For Immediate Release: March 26, 1998 Contact: Rep. Bill Williams at (907) 465-4585.

Juneau -- The Alaska House of Representatives Thursday overwhelmingly passed House Bill 404, which proposes to conform the State's archaic commercial vehicle inspection law with criteria found in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations. The approval vote was 32-3.

"Our current State commercial vehicle inspection law is unworkable," said Representative Bill Williams (D-Saxman), Chairman of the House Transportation Committee. "This Transportation Committee bill will create efficiencies in both government and the private sector and ultimately create a safer transportation environment," Williams said.

HB 404 increases temporary fees for out-of-state trucks from $50 to $350, bringing Alaska fees closer to those charged by other states and provinces. Revenue from these fees may go to operating weigh stations and commercial vehicle safety programs.

The bill also eliminates the requirement for annual registration of commercial trailers and shifts the cost to registration of commercial power units, with no net revenue loss to the State. This change is required for Alaska to become part of the International Registration Plan, which prorates fees among the various jurisdictions in which Alaska commercial vehicles operate.

"The State and industry will no longer have to go through the process of issuing and physically tagging some twenty thousand commercial trailers every year," Williams said. "The bill creates efficiencies in both government and the private sector and improves our highway safety picture. The bottom line is," Williams said, "the safer our highways are, the safer all of us will be."

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Broadcasters note: An actuality from Rep. Williams is available on the House Majority Actuality Line: 1-800-478-6540.
= Bill Williams, 59 K