Transportation, Technology & Legislative Affairs - Senate

The the CDL holders to renew both their lessons and there has met. At the same time and the fees are a just goes up to the one more year so it goes from forty dollars to fifty dollars and ended honest help the consistency of the lessons and has met so. Are there any questions for senator Johnson. If there's any more clarification I think the FNA has. Survey like to speak for against this bill saying none I have Alicia Austin Smith speak for the bill of need is up to you okay. Is there any other for against. Seeing none. The Senator English. Okay let's make sure he's closed proper time Senator Johnson indicates he is closed for his bill. Senator English. Session do pass motion to pass I have a second six hundred Johnson all in favor please say aye. Same sign opposed your bill has passed. And your committee call the next one you want to. will move on the house bill eighteen forty two representative Christiansen. Good morning Mr chairman members of the committee. Craig Christiansen District forty seven. Allow me one second since I thought we were going to run that one last year. We got it whichever order you wanted in eighteen forty two is a very very simple and very straightforward bill. We have problems and issues with rover crossings and drivers that do not understand that when a train or something is on the track that they can't cross in front of our current statutes state that you must stop when a train is coming we are heading for words to clarify that that other means it's other on track equipment so if you're crossing the tracks you're not going to cross in front of a hi rail pick up or track geometry car maintenance away because we can't expect our drivers to have to such a standards and you stop one time you don't another so it clarifies a bill road management rail operating unions maintenance or unions and our state coordinator for operation lifesaver are all on board with this this is finally one railroad bill that we can come to you and say all parties are in agreement this is necessary it is a good bill for the safety of our public. Have the this is really what the issue is without crossings are at well the issue is at every crossing I actually had a county sheriff tell me about three weeks ago that when a pickup truck was coming on the tracks that we were to treat that crossing as if it was a four way stop when we go in the next to go and that is not how it works it's not have federal lawyers and this brings us into easy understanding that you're crossing private property when. the train or other equipment is present and so that it clarifies it makes it uniformed standard it's a good bill. Thank you any other members have questions Senator Pitsch any known opposition are dots okay with this I have not heard of any opposition because it's just your emphasis on emphasizes safety and makes it better for the vote enough. The other questions. Seeing none close your bill. All right which will the motion by Senator Tucker. Second by Senator English all in favor say aye. All opposed Like sign thank you representative restrictions. We will go to. Eighteen eleven. Eighteen eleven is of. A pretty decent bill if you've ever had your vehicle towed. And you don't know where to go to find it because it takes for ever for a notice to be published in a newspaper or perhaps your city or your county doesn't have a newspaper anymore. The so companies can rack up some pretty good charges. This bill is absolutely an actual bill it creates a website to be hosted and operated by the towing and recovery board so that when a vehicle is towed. They're members third thirteen trucks are going to then have to post that on the website as well as in the newspaper so for somebody who has spent three weeks trying to find out whether vehicle is this will eliminate that process we had some objection from the press association that it might excise the requirement for the press we acquiesced we agreed to keep the press requirement in their. So that the tow companies have to publish in the newspaper if ones available that also are required to go to the website and publish that there that will be an increased fee for the tow companies of about two dollars per listing at the present time so as far as the state goes there's not a revenue impact for the state there is for the towing operators but that's a two dollar increase and that's a small price to pay for us to get a standard website that somebody from Bella Vista to Hampton to Fort Smith the Texarkana all can point click and go find out where the vehicle is it will speed things up for our citizens. Senator Pitsch you got a question yeah I'll and I appreciate that. the press association we've all been there. Can we Institute with the the towing board and I'm sure they would love to because it's a fee they don't want to pay but I'd like to find out roughly. How many people go to the website to find their tow car as opposed to finding it in a random newspaper as that I think that's a valuable data for future legislation because the reality of it is you're not if your car gets towed you're not going to a newspaper to find out who and where it is you're going to a website you're getting online in the in the traditional manner and I think some data would help that going forward I'm pretty sure they would be willing since they're adding to box but they're also getting the towing board is going to see less revenue because there's less time to getting your car out of they understand that Senator with the data reason is why we agreed to leave the press requirement in because the next two years is going to show how many people are going to the website because they have to and how many people are just going to be processing it through the newspaper if we had an or then we wouldn't have data to compare that's why we made it and so you have to do both so we can compare two columns over the next two years and I I agree with that I think but that the I would like to see it taken out but since it's not taken out let's build the case that people just aren't using it so. Senator English. What where do you find those in the newspaper now it's hard to find sometimes it would be under the ads that would post for towing probably in the class five. Hi. It's difficult committee to find in some counties in our city we've lost our own newspaper in some counties don't even have. Any other questions. Seeing none you closure email close private. The committee The motion by Senator English second by Senator Eads all in favor say aye. All opposed Like sign regulations represent Christiansen thank you Mr chairman committee we will go on to the. Fifteen sixty. House Bill fifteen sixty says to amend the law concerning the removal or mobilization of unattended or abandoned vehicles. In this does away with consent or non consent towing essentially the regulates a little bit of it but it actually puts more teeth of for safety. If you're going to police or whatever that would be non consent if you call it's going to be a consent to. What happens is that it simplifies the language you're going to put can repossessions under their own category. It will actually you have yet notifications are there we talked about that but in this particular case doing away with consent or non consent categories cleans up the statues simplifies were body can do it and it changes nothing about the scope of the board's mission but it allows them to more positively control safety aspects of the inspection and licensing of commercial tow vehicles only this does not affect the hobbyist. You got a tow truck on your farm Senator English says can you come get me and she's rant no problem you go pick it up this does not affect that what it does affect his commercial to operators that do it for a higher any changes those categories of debt and through that it's D. regulates the industry simple house the current law in it deals with the board's role in safety on the highway and a much more direct hands on way I know that totaling it's been a hot button issue for years because they're bad actors in the business we know that telling Board knows that is a former District investigator fuel transportation commission a bill with it many many times so that's why I was excited to be able to run this bill and try to make something better. The other questions. Cool saying that are you closing your bill closed my bill what's my own motion by Senator English Second by Senator Eads all in favor say aye. All opposed Like sign. Okay all right so we will not hear. Senate bill six fifty seven today Your any other business to come before the committee. The Senate transportations adjourned. Thank you.