Public Transportation- House

Thank you Mr chairman thank committee the lot of familiar faces not for real news for three terms and. Kind of it's a little bit but I had jumped to to revenue tax for you already heard our feet and soon as you left to so you do is I will not go. yes the amendment act that it ought to look out here but the amendment is just to add my name as a co sponsor of the bill okay. I have a do pass on Amendment any discussion all in favor say aye. Okay the amendment passes so you may proceed. Okay Senate bill five forty two came about from the Highway Commission review an advisory subcommittee that. Matt and they all session if the a required reporting by our doctor of the progress of the final recommendation report. Require submission of contracts needed to implement the recommendations in excess of fifty thousand dollars to highway commission an advisory and subcommittee and provides it to subcommittee the ability to allow members of the public time to comment on proposed rules and contract related to implementation and recommendations so basically what the bill does this is just what the Subcommittee came up with with the. That is that we had in our state and if you have any questions for the Randy would be glad to answer any questions committee represents spring you're recognized. Thank you Mr good morning do you have the specific recommendations from the subcommittee we have do we know exactly what was recommended all of the average says something about some rules down requiring the contracts to be with you Senate is mainly one of. On the table and this yourself to the committee and then we'll let you speak. At well first pretty impressive we're not quite as prompt on the Senate side get our committee started so sorry I'm a little bit late but that there is a report that was provided and we can get with staff and just have that probably good to have that sent to both transportation committees since there are new members at this point so they can see the findings the report to recommendations that were made and and and and and that sort of thing but I I don't have in front of me but we can get you a copy of the final four follow up this. Also the least two of the recommendations were that there would be a review of the rules and all or to review contracts over fifty thousand dollars that was something that they found that needed to be done is it yet and really just discussion because we want to do is make sure and by Senator Jonathan Dismang what we wanted to do was make sure that you know there we found during the report that sometimes we understood the recommendations to say one thing and maybe our daughter would interpret them a little bit differently we wanna make sure is we kind of go down this process together that way everybody's accomplishing you know kind of the way that we in general both together think it should move forward and so that's that's part for this review also there will be some rule changes that will impact contractors or county judge's or whoever it may be and when those rule changes come up want to make sure there is a form that they can be discussed everybody would be able to provide that input as needed through that rule making process that's currently something that's it there is a process in place but it's maybe not quite as concrete is what we're looking to do by utilizing the the subcommittee in on the contract side that that's a way for us to we understand that the report has costs associated with it you know some the transformation regarding we have technology that sort of thing is going to have a cost we want to make sure we we understand what those cost or that are not able to come to us explain those cost to this in and where they need to be changes that very or you know gonna go separate way from the report in some fashion that we we've had that explain to this and that you know cost is actually the the restraint. Yes yes I would just like for them to show the rules to that they've come of it is well if if they were that those are being promised that that's that part of what we're doing is allowing for that public input from those rules are presented that they can be discussed public is then allowed to come provide testimony ask questions or us ask questions on my behalf to make sure we've got a good dialogue before they meet final adoption. Okay. It I'm sorry with this three what is the time period for the completion of these rules then that we're talking about there it was all open ended as far as the time frame at their game it's all gonna hit will it's going to hit differently depending on what they're able to do not do it's a it's a long term plan some things that are doubt was actually able to start implementing during the report or start the process of attaining the right contracts or whatever it may be while we were you know preparing report the maybe they saw something through the questioning of the consultant and so it's in it but what I'd say is it's in process for the very injured degrees of length as far as completion. Any other questions from committee. The Hillman you're recognized for a question. Thank you up in the in the good part of this bill of to allow the public to make comments on it before the rules regulations or that's right thank you. Thank you any other questions committee. Anyone here to speak for against the bill. Saying none represent McNair United closed. Yeah I agree with everything to a device. I think I would. Yes I would have predicted bill thank you representative ray you're recognized motion to pass I have a motion do pass any discussion. As amended I have a motion to pass as amended the correct. Okay I have a motion to pass as amended in discussion all in favor say aye any oppose same lax and hearing none congratulations your bill passes thank you. Next on the list we have house bill fourteen eighteen representative Beck identify yourself you may proceed. Thank you Mr tech thank you committee today I bring you a house bill fourteen eighteen this this is a bill that was brought to me by the Arkansas Highway Department concerning raising the height is a vehicle height on Arkansas roads it is currently thirteen feet six inches this bill would rise up to fourteen feet and that's really what this bill does And initially there were some concerns about the bill but we uh concerned with the rebel department but we've address those concerns and they are I K. they're neutral on the bill the reason for that is there the reason for raising it is several states around us are at fourteen feet are already Alabama Georgia fourteen feet or more actually Alabama Georgia Louisiana Oklahoma and Texas some those are all states that are that are that are higher than that there was a concern about this is going to cause and they were gonna put new signage or anything like that it would does not because currently all the bridges that don't have a fifteen there are fifteen feet or less are already marked as low clearance and what those clearances are so **** with them. Katie a representative. Question yes thank you Are there currently any structures that have less than fourteen foot clearance in the State of Arkansas yes. And do we know what. What those are like how many let me flip I've I've got that here I think it's like nine. There are nine. It is all of my assets is that correct they're they're actually not yes. Any other questions committee. President Hillman you're recognized for a question all right I will cause more trouble I guess is more of a representative back isn't there are a road map of truckers road map or something with all these lower than than fifteen feet that marked on that on that map I can't I do I do not know that I do know that all the structures are marked I did talk with some people and in a as I said how do we get these bridges how do they get struck sometime with a larger logs and I said that typically what happens is as it is currently like if you're. Above the high you have to have a permit to do that and with that permit they give you a mapped out chart is where you're going sometimes some of the people get off of the route that's due to the loss. Occurrences that when something actually gets struck but in the bill of course this is already current law it actually says that if you do strike a bridges to responsible for that the damage to that structure. And any other questions committee. Anyone here to speak for against the bill. Seeing none present back to Oslo I'm close for the bill I appreciate do pass. President right you're recognized. Hi motion do pass representative Ryan. indiscretion. All in favor say aye. He opposed same accent hearing none congratulations your bill passes thank you Committee okay representative back you also have a house bill seventeen eighty two so. Well. I am going to present seventeen eighty two but I mistakenly picked another bill of using another committee but I think I can do it without without we give you a copy if you need I think I'm okay with that okay basically what this bill does is this is brought to me by the **** for all the sociais Haitian there there's a fine right now that's already appropriate this is no new funds or anything like this if the fund is active appropriated for the research of for future survive asphalt right what you know I don't know that there's that much to ask Bob appear there's a lot more than the than I know about that what they're wanting to do with the fund because it has additional monies in it what are wanting to do is to say that this is going to allow them to work out a training program a war or workforce development programs for people that would mix and make asphalt and stuff for our state so it's just a change there is no money change here's a sellout give them the authorization is suggests research they can also do a workforce development and that's really what the bill does any questions from committee. Anyone here to speak for against the bill. Seeing none are you close represented back yes okay representative Whitaker you're recognized. I have a motion do pass in discussion of the committee. All in favor say aye opposed same Lacson hearing none congratulations your bill passed thank you guys made that too is it got a lot of threats earlier on art thank you so much have a great day where you're if you bring a good bill we make it easy so so. Okay next on this H. B. fifteen sixty representative Christiansen you're recognized. You will identify yourself and. I thank you have an amendment to fifteen sixty no excuse me that's the next one that's the next one I'm sorry they had or sale. Eighteen eleven. Excuse me fifteen sixties one you're going to now. Good morning Mr chairman and committee Craig Christiansen representative district forty seven. Maybe this is of as I believe we're on fifteen sixty is that correct Mr chairman that's correct that is an act to amend the law concerning the removal or mobilization of unattended or abandoned vehicles. And as you know in all in towing that I've I have a witness with me who is Matthew Ross with the towing board and he can explain a little bit more in detail but this bill seeks to deregulate a bit of the towing industry and I think it's a good bill in that respect because we're doing away with consent or non consent and moving them all into one category of towing. And all that means that we're gonna be able to more closely monitor what vehicles are roadworthy safe to operate and it will give the towing board the ability to in a more direct way of. Handle what they need to do for the safety of our vehicles on the road. Matthew if you would expelled on that I would appreciate it unidentified yourself please. Yes my name's Matthew Ross I'm the vice chair of the Arkansas towing and recovery board yeah just just as a. As was explained this bill really focuses us more directly on the mission of the tow board which is the safety of the tow vehicles which are operating in the state of Arkansas it D. regulates the can set aside which means if you as an individual call a tow truck to call to to have your car towed because you broke down we don't have any real statutory regulatory pricing control over that so we see this as a way to kind of get out of that and to focus more on inspecting these vehicles and making sure that the insurance parameters are there in place to protect the motoring US citizens in the state of Arkansas so we we would we would like to move that way is the board so we can focus more on kind of our core mission and and get out of an arena that we really don't have any statutory regular regulatory powers as well. Represent Christian view everything that well I think it is a good bill and the fact that it moves them towards a mission that we need we're always about safety on the highways on our by ways of the state of Arkansas and I think that is a an important aspect of the bill is simple in nature on that regard. Take questions represented the very you're recognized thank you Mr chairman so says that the he changed from four members to five. But in the Then section six has one member of the sum adding this up wrong one members committed engage operar repossession of vehicles using tow vehicle at large two members From the towing industry and one member point by the insurance industry so we're is the fifty one. Yes yes Sir in section six yes Sir yes Sir this is so this is just a restructuring of our board on our board we have representation from those two two representations from the non consent secretary so these are owners of tow companies who operate only non consent to license with that total license being removed this just reorganizes the board to not have those specific parameters from those seats so but we're the fifth member I'm I'm missing something so we will have a will have a insurance representative and will have consumer representatives so somebody that is involved necessarily in the tow industry as well and the rest of those should be just tow operators vehicle vehicle to operators with a valid license maybe something you wanna look at because it yeah the numbers just don't add up yeah I'm sorry thank you Mr okay thank you for pointing that out Sir representative very that is something we can we can correct and and bring back an amendment I do see where you're saying the one member and then followed by two members and one that last I checked in in math that does come up with for. So. You're welcome to interject one of the reasons that persuade persuade of that women come up when you that's a that's right I I can I can I can do that now so that it creates a category for a repossession so folks that have been doing primarily repossessions have been operating under a consent license and so this creates a designation for a board member who is a repossession category which is an important perspective to have in in our board I appreciate that what we will also there's. May I respond I thank represent berry let him follow you might just look at the restriction within that paragraph because it because the repossession is down in section seven. And see may just wanna status that membership of make a little more clear where the fifth person is so excellent point thank you Mr excellent point representative berry I think if you look on line thirty one works as five members then go to line thirty three it shall be appointed shall be licensed by the board to engage in non consent there's one appointed by the state in our state at large as one member who is to engage in repossession two members who are not associated and one member it's missing the number one on line thirty three so that way we can add in that one of. And I think we can correct that clerically but that does account for your five. Senate Bryant you're next on the list of questions. It looks like the the last sentence creates a a new fee is this a fee from in program being right underneath these consolidation or we actually creating an iffy. No what we're doing is we are essentially just separating that licensure process and the trucks will have a fee for a license and if you to permit trucks that actually simplifies the it simplifies the fee process for this. Rips are you through represented by okay represent feeling you're recognized. The question. Thank you Mr chairman. Of looking at a bill that this bill separating. Those that are not. Consent from of those that I consent on the lives. AS in two different rooms and fed off of route to no matter on the consent list and I can't. Toll. So with that has how it has been previously this group this bill does the opposite of that it joins them all into essentially one group instead of having that bifurcated as it has been in the past because that has caused some confusion. Just to the point that you're making so that this does the opposite of that it it pulls them all into one group. Also if I'm not on the list I can still go and tell ever cover when a vehicle is out that. Yes yeah there wouldn't be anything about your licensure that would prohibit you from operating as a tow company in the state of Arkansas other than not having your license. All right thank you Mr chairman okay any other questions from committee. Of. We have. Anyone here to speak against the bill for the bill Stephen you don't speak it is going to go on okay all right of saying no more questions you paired closed. Mister chairman I'm prepared to close in committee this is a simple find bill of the D. regulates and allows the tow board to actually operate more effectively than the current situation we have and I would ask for a good vote not ask for do pass on this we have a motion do pass in discussion. All in favor say aye. Any opposing Lacson Hey none graduations your bill passes fifteen thank you Committee. All right representative Christian you also have House Bill eighteen eleven. And you have an amendment on at eighteen eleven so you proceed with the amendment thank you Mr chairman we handed out to you committee gives just second. Your shoes second get that committee members. Okay you might say. Thank you Mr chairman Committee all in life everything we do is always a test so we're going to try to follow the test this morning and ask you follow along with me on your tables you have a green sheet that explains the intent of this bill as originally presented please take your green she to turn it over face down because it does not apply. We have made an amendment that is agreed to by both parties from the press association and and the towing and recovery board and it's very very simple it retains the press requirement that you do put it in a newspaper were available and you also submit to the website that will be created and set up specifically by the towing and recovery board so that we will develop a centrally located place in this state or you can go to find out the status of your vehicles when the sales are as we move further into the twenty first century and we're seeing the decline of newspapers it's becoming very difficult to ask for some people to follow that so rather than excise the printed word we have retained to the printed word as it states in current law and added in that towing business website posting notice under what is stated in the bill and that allows the development of a central website in this state for you can go from Hampton the Rogers and be able to find out what's going on with your vehicle where it is what's going on what sale dates might be Matthew would you like to expound on that about you do you you have there we are on the amendment this is on the amendment so we've changed the bill that's what the bill originally listed in the green she no longer applies this changes the bill and amends the bill insert in its entirety to retain the printed. And at the website. Okay okay you will go ahead you're still on the member going yes Sir okay so. Yeah the the the overall push that we're trying to achieve here is a is a consumer protection type of the bill if your car is taken without your consent and you don't know where your car is it's impossible for you to take the steps to retrieve that now whether you're a company that is operating a trucking company here in the state of Arkansas or a rental fleet here in the state of Arkansas for your parent who sent your kids to college and they had to come back because of the co that in their car got towed they don't know where the car is now because because we don't to have the information inside the state of Arkansas with our police agency partners and things to find out the ownership of those so when no other ownership can be established the the current statute requires that there's a notification posted in the newspaper to to alert. I'm. The probably one of the bill he's on the amendment. He's. So so so the bill the the that's the original intent of this the amendment is simply to to have both the newspaper notification and you start to begin to utilize this online process that will allow somebody from out of state to go on to this website to search their vehicle and see yes my cars at X. Y. Z. tow company and I can I can take the steps to retrieve it from there so the amendment simply in the summer on the assembly the amendment simply It's an and the language there that requires both of those notifications to be in place while we we kind of scale up the website so that we're not leaving anybody out in the cold. Exactly and representative fielding I understand because it is kind of confusing but we are specifically directing to the amendment which changed the scope of the bill. So we have to go through the amendment before we can get to the amended bill and in this case we had to discuss it in order to get it there it does exactly what Matthew said it retains the current law and adds the website and I think that is an extremely good way for us to be able to track vehicles that get taken on a lot of experience the same thing or something that broke down I'm going where did it go and it's hard to find. You like to make a motion on the amendment. I'm going to ask that you all pass this amendment as presented to you a quick. Question representative ray have questions with yet thank you Mr chairman it says that a towing business. A reasonable fee for each notice posted on the website. I mean one advantage to using the website over the newspaper is presented with the cost would be less I mean what what is a reasonable fee do you have an idea of what that would be. So they're still going to be some projected build out cost working with the bureau of labor licensing we see the top end of that being five to seven dollars initially as we get this off we think that we can do it looking at our budget for roughly two dollars until until we're kind of scaled up until we make this transition or as a newspaper article will cost the tow company anywhere from thirty five to fifty dollars on a on a may be the reason you can't find the ownership of this vehicle is because it's been burned to the ground and you can't find a van or anything but we still have a statutory obligation to go through our paperwork to get that so it's you know fifty dollars per abandoned vehicle that's not worth anything is pretty pretty onerous on a tow company moving towards a pricing structure that's more business friendly we see as a. As a as a plus. Okay representative rise you have a question on the amendment I do Mr chairman server on this fading. Largo representative I was speaking about is there a cap on the US. The cap on the ferry we we don't we don't have any cap on that fee every projection that we have run it shows that it will be substantively less expensive as then the the current situation we're in where there's no cap on on newspaper ads the the costs have continued to climb for tow companies year over year as we as as with we have to run these ads so there's no stipulated cost in here but none of the costing models that we have run have anywhere approached the fees that we're currently paying for to the papers now. Any other questions represent very you're recognized thank you Mr chairman and so are the fees going to licensing in the Arkansas towing and recovery for. They do they go to the they go to the Arkansas towing and recovery board for the maintenance of the website. It seems like a lot of money to be. To maintain a website but. Thank you Mr president Bryant you're recognized for a question. So so currently it's just the newspaper going to maintain that language with this amendment and add website as well so we'll be paying thirty five to forty dollars for a newspaper ad ten days prior to the sale but also pain the board two to seven dollars district sure a nationally or what we have an environment that is rapidly changing as we see communities have losing their papers all together and having no venue to do this other than running this in the Arkansas Democrat is that right or some larger paper that is in two counties over that really doesn't reach the folks that it would be intended to reach anyway and so originally way back there was no notification process through paper it was go to your local post office and and put up a a flyer its debt five conspicuous places the tow industry has moved from that to paper doing that in the newspaper and now as we are trying to facilitate this move to to the twenty first century were looking to kind of make that next jump as well and part of the amendment is a compromise to have that be a transition rather than that than a hard cut off to move over. We've already seen committee were government and COVID thought we could flip the light switch off and flip a light switch back on and businesses would start up unfazed and we know that that doesn't work and so in this case it gives a compromise for both the printed word and the electronic website and it's a good transition a good segue and I think it is the fees are going to be nominal but I think the reach we'll see over the next couple of years that that website will be a welcome to central location to go any other questions on the amendment. Committee. Would appreciate a single question on the amendment you will make a motion. Mister chairman I'm gonna ask this committee to to give us a good vote I would appreciate a do pass committee will we have a motion to adopt the amendment all in favor say aye. He opposed same accent hearing none okay now you can we've pretty much heard the bill but we're back to the bill as amended so committee we have heard the bill pretty much in its entirety because in order to do the amendment we had to explain the bill because it was a wholesale change we did not eleventh hour change that needed to be done that kept all parties and in place I think it's a good compromise bill and it will be good for the consumer because if you lose your car you're going to have two ways to find out and it it's something that a lot of our counties are struggling very very hard to find a newspaper or a place to put that in the printed word and this gives the other alternative that will watch that grow in the future. Okay I don't have any will we have any other questions on the bill representative Brian you're recognized. Is it is the intent that the board will eventually move away from the printed word to stay in a website and then. Currently is a statutes wrote can you just direct them to the website or do you have to list the details of the of the found vehicle. Thank you so the the website will be searchable by vin by make by model right so if and we're we would hope as well we we don't have this nailed down but also by license plate so again if you know the license plate your vehicle if you know the the the van the make model you can search that and it will query that criteria and you can look and see what those are up for the the other thing that's really a any component of this is is that it does start to create a centralized place for law enforcement we find ourselves working more and more with law enforcement on finding and recovering stolen vehicles it's pretty onerous for us as a board or a law enforcement agency to look three forty or fifty different papers for this publication of this where they can keep that information directly on a centralized website and so not only is this moving towards us what type provide those industry benefits but it also provides benefits for the law enforcement component and then us as a regulatory body we have a higher degree to ensure that these ads are being in fact run by tow companies because we see those inside of our own internal databases right and to that end we want to make it as broadly searchable as possible right so that that we're sharing that information as openly as we possibly can. Any other questions committee I have no one to speak against the bill Stephen you on Speaker you just used here okay. Mr chairman and committee I would appreciate a good vote on this it simplifies even though we're adding another layer over time that will be an essential layer for this state as was pointed out by Mr Ross law enforcement if you look inside a police car lately you will find the computers in a lot of things are done electronically it bypasses the dispatcher and he can note fingertip response whether something is in involved in an accident or whatever it is this is a good bill it's a common sense bill and I ask for a good vote. Our. Okay we need to vote is amended we need a motion to adopt the bill as amended. Okay. Represent Hillman the the pass as amended have a motion do pass as amended in the discussion. All in favor say aye. The oppose same like sign a nun congratulations your bill passes they thank you Committee. Okay represent Christians and you also have a house bill eighteen forty two you may proceed. Mr chairman members of the committee this is a common sense bill it is an act to amend the law concerning the operation of a motor vehicle at a railroad crossing and it makes a simple but necessary change under the existing statute it says that all if a train if the approach of a railroad train you have to hold at a crossing this adds the words or other on track equipment which can be a high rail pick up it can be a track geometry car it can be maintenance of way equipment of any kind. I spoke to a share for a few weeks ago who told me all if it's not a trained in every crossing becomes a four way stop no it does not and we do not expect our motoring public to here to two different sets of mental standards as to how to apply it when you cross private property and you do cross private property when you're going over the tracks this adds in the words or other on track equipment makes it very clear that when the tracks are occupied your right to pass is denied when they leave your right to pass is granted it's very simple it is endorsed by operation lifesaver fully vetted by the maintenance of way in the operating unions fully vetted by the railroad management everyone is on board amazing I can come to this board and say we are all United for management to labor says this is a good thing operation lifesaver says it can't be passed soon enough. And I would appreciate to all entertain any questions that you might have about the bill but it is straightforward any questions committee. Anyone here to serve see anyone side to speak for against the bill so. You are represent Christian committee I won't leave you with this it is a it is an excellent bill it makes perfect sense and I would ask that you all recommended to pass I ask that. resident Springer. You're recognized for motion. Okay I have a motion do pass any discussion all in favor say aye are imposed same accent hearing none congratulates your bill passes thank you committee I appreciate your time and effort this morning may unless the chairman vice chair Watson if you cheer up so I run house bill eighteen forty six. Representative Holcomb you are recognized to present your bill thank you. Thank you Mr chairman committee this is a very simple bill it's a DF a bill all and actually does is extend the commercial driver's license from four years to five years there's actually no fee increase goes from forty to fifty fees actually ten dollars a year that's it in a nutshell the break down of the the fee if you look at the bottom of the twenty five dollars that are ministry to cost twenty five dollars goes the state police that's all it does just extended a year and that's it answer any questions you might have any questions by the committee. Okay representative Christiansen. Okay we do have a one of the questions was somebody from the audience would like to a speak we have a Alicia Austin Smith. You're good the FNA she's on my side. Would you like to close for your bill I'm I'm closed would create do pass what are the wishes again for the committee of the committee. Representative Christiansen. And do we have a second we have times scuse me okay. We have a motion of do pass on the bill all in favor say aye. Those against like sign. The bill has passed motion is carried thank you Committee thank you. Okay committee I thank you for your time today we will not meet Thursday we're going to keep the same schedule I was hoping we would have to meet again but it looks like we're going to be Tuesday one of those bills are going to be horrible someone tell you up front so. so we will right now it looks like we will be next Tuesday and less anything changes if I see no other business before the committee today thank you again we stand adjourned.