HB 63 Summary

• Renames the Alaska Marine Transportation Advisory Board to the Alaska Marine Highway Operations Board throughout state law.

• Expands board membership from seven to nine members: adds the deputy commissioner of transportation and public facilities assigned to the Alaska marine highway system, one union representative, one Alaska Native organization representative, and six public members with specified expertise in business operations, engineering, marine operations, and related fields.

• Changes board member terms from three years to staggered six-year terms, with initial appointments staggered at two, four, and six years; allows majority of board to remove members who miss more than two meetings annually.

• Adds new board duties including providing advice on revenue enhancement, cost reduction, personnel management, fleet strategy, and regulatory compliance; preparing reports on deviations from plans; establishing task forces; and submitting annual recommendations on the statewide transportation improvement program.

• Requires the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities to incorporate the Alaska marine highway system's comprehensive long-range plan into the statewide comprehensive, intermodal, long-range transportation plan and to report on the system's progress toward established performance goals.