D r a f t O n l y A p p r o v a l P e n d i n g SUMMARY of PROCEEDINGS J O I N T T R A N S P O R T A T I O N , H I G H W A Y S & M I L I T A R Y A F F A I R S C O M M I T T E E COMMITTEE MEETING INFORMATION October 10-11, 2019 | 9:30 AM Casper/Natrona County International Airport, Observation Deck 8500 Airport Parkway Casper, Wyoming COMMITTEE MEMBERS PRESENT Senator Michael Von Flatern, Co-chairman Representative John Eklund, Co-chairman Senator Jim Anderson Senator Lynn Hutchings Senator Stephan Pappas Senator Cheri Steinmetz Representative Stan Blake Representative Tom Crank Representative Bunky Loucks Representative Joe MacGuire Representative Sandy Newsome Representative Jerry Obermueller Representative Cyrus Western COMMITTEE MEMBERS NOT PRESENT Representative Landon Brown LEGISLATIVE SERVICE OFFICE STAFF Heather Jarvis, Staff Attorney Joy Hill, Program Evaluation Manager MaryBeth Oatsvall, Legislative Editor OTHERS PRESENT AT MEETING Please refer to Appendix 1-02 to review the Committee Sign-in Sheet for a list of other individuals who attended the meeting. The Committee Meeting Summary of Proceedings (meeting minutes) is prepared by the Legislative Service Office (LSO) and is the official record of the proceedings of a legislative committee meeting. This document does not represent a transcript of the meeting; it is a digest of the meeting and provides a record of official actions taken by the Committee. All meeting materials and handouts provided to the Committee by the Legislative Service Office, public officials, lobbyists, and the public are on file at the Legislative Service Office and are part of the official record of the meeting. An index of these materials is provided at the end of this document and these materials are on file at the Legislative Service Office. For more information or to review meeting materials, please contact the Legislative Service Office at (307) 777-7881 or by e-mail at [email protected]. The Summary of Proceedings for each legislative committee meeting can be found on the Wyoming Legislature’s website at www.wyoleg.gov. PAGE 2 OF 8 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Committee met for two days in Casper. The Committee heard testimony and considered draft legislation regarding wildlife crossings, highway funding mechanisms, Wyoming Public Safety Communications System funding and reconsidered legislation concerning DUI limited driving privileges, commercial operators-registration and authority to operate, moving expenses for state employees and driver’s licenses and IDs. In addition, the Committee received updates from the Wyoming Military Department (WMD) regarding the progress of the veterans’ facilities design and planning and cataloguing military history throughout the state. The Committee also received updates from the Department of Transportation (WYDOT) regarding the agency’s operational focus, revenue information service, road dedications and phase III of the connected vehicle pilot project on I-80. CALL TO ORDER (THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2019) Co-chairman Eklund called the meeting to order at 9:30 a.m. The following sections summarize the Committee proceedings by topic. Please refer to Appendix 1-01 to review the Committee Meeting Agenda. WYOMING MILITARY DEPARTMENT UPDATES Christopher Smith, Colonel, State Staff Judge Advocate, WMD, provided an overview of agency updates (Appendix 2-01) regarding air guard and army deployments, progress of the Veterans Skilled Nursing Facility federal application and Veterans’ Home renovations and cataloguing military and veterans history throughout Wyoming. He presented information about the National Guard origins and operations, comparisons between active service and national guard, and uniformed and all employee numbers, composition and locations (Appendix 2-02). Colonel Smith also provided the Committee a handout with common terms and acronyms used by the military (Appendix 2-03). MONITORING THE PROGRESS OF VETERANS' FACILITIES DESIGN AND PLANNING Tim Sheppard, Director, Wyoming Veterans Commission (Commission), Ryan Scranton, Wyoming State Construction Department, and Franz Fuchs, Policy Analyst, Wyoming Department of Health, provided an update and timeline on the progress of the Veterans’ Skilled Nursing Facility by providing specifics on the federal application, grant process and Level III plans. They also spoke briefly about the Veterans’ Home renovation studies (Appendix 2-01, pp. 7-10). The State Construction Department provided the required notice that they had exercised the loan authority from the bill that passed during the previous session (Appendix 3-01). Bill Novotny, Commissioner, Johnson County, spoke regarding working with the Level III design team, provided clarity on the location and orientation of the Veterans’ Skilled Nursing Facility cottages, discussed staffing and updated regarding the water line for the facility. UPDATE REGARDING CATALOGUING MILITARY HISTORY THROUGHOUT THE STATE Director Sheppard introduced himself and discussed his recent appointment as the director of the Commission. Director Sheppard and John Woodward, Director of Museums for WMD, provided an overview of veteran history throughout Wyoming and collaborating with State Parks and the Office of Tourism (Appendix 2-01, pp.11-12). Colonel Smith explained that no legislative action is required. Public Comment Travis Deti, Chairman, Commission, discussed the core mission of the Commission, providing services to Wyoming veterans and service officers helping veterans navigate the veterans benefits process. JOINT TRANSPORTATION, HIGHWAYS & MILITARY AFFAIRS COMMITTEE Summary of Proceedings WYOMING LEGISLATIVE SERVICE OFFICE • 200 West 24th Street • Cheyenne, Wyoming 82002 TELEPHONE (307) 777-7881 • FAX 307-777-5466 • E-MAIL [email protected] • WEBSITE www.wyoleg.gov PAGE 3 OF 8 Representative MacGuire presented the history of the Natrona County International Airport, which began with the attack on Pearl Harbor. The Committee recessed at 12:03 p.m., to tour the Natrona County International Airport, Veterans' Memorial Museum, Hangar 1 and Railroad Spur Transload Facility. CALL TO ORDER (FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2019) Co-chairman Von Flatern called the meeting to order at 8:30 a.m. UPDATES AND FOLLOW-UP FROM PREVIOUS MEETINGS Nolan Wrap, State Policy Representative for U.S. Senator John Barrasso, provided an overview of America’s Transportation Infrastructure Act of 2019 and expressed Senator Barrasso’s appreciation of the Committee’s attention to travel and commerce issues (Appendix 9-02). K. Luke Reiner, Director, Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT), provided an overview of WYDOT’s operational focus, employee compensation, the revenue information system (RIS) for state resident data, road dedications, phrase III of the connected vehicle pilot, highway projects and emergency issues (Appendix 9-01). Troy Babbitt, Chief Technology Officer, WYDOT, gave additional details about RIS changes and needed renovations. The Committee requested a connected vehicles presentation at a future meeting and suggested that highway safety could be a possible interim topic. WILDLIFE CROSSINGS - FEDERAL FUNDS Director Reiner, Shelby Carlson, Chief Engineer and John Davis, Management Services, WYDOT, provided wildlife crossings projects updates (Appendix 10-01). Ms. Carlson discussed fence options, landowner or lessee approval, working closely with Wyoming Game and Fish Department and raising awareness. Mr. Davis discussed federal funding eligibility and new potential funding programs (Appendix 10-01, pp.5-8). Director Reiner spoke about ROUTES, which stands for "rural opportunities to use transportation for economic success," and that rural transportation networks are critical, not only funding roads. Nearly one fifth of the nation's population lives in rural areas, but 40% of the accidents occur there. The ROUTES council plans to reprioritize money to include focus on wildlife collisions. Public Comment Jenny DeSarro, Wyoming Conservation Coordinator, Greater Yellowstone Coalition, expressed support for the proposed bill drafts and allowing matching funds and unlimited donations. Introduction of bill drafts related to wildlife crossings Heather Jarvis, LSO Staff Attorney, provided an overview of the three bill drafts: 20LSO-0035 v0.6 Wildlife conservation account, 20LSO-0036 v0.5 Wildlife conservation efforts-1 and 20LSO-0038 v0.5 Wildlife conservation efforts-2, distinguishing the ways in which each bill authorizes acceptance of and solicitations for donations for wildlife conservation efforts related to the transportation system (Appendices 10-02, 10-03 and 10-04). Taylor Rossetti, Support Services Administrator, WYDOT, discussed the proposed insertion of the donation opportunity to driver's license and registration applications and how monies would be collected and distributed. JOINT TRANSPORTATION, HIGHWAYS & MILITARY AFFAIRS COMMITTEE Summary of Proceedings WYOMING LEGISLATIVE SERVICE OFFICE • 200 West 24th Street • Cheyenne, Wyoming 82002 TELEPHONE (307) 777-7881 • FAX 307-777-5466 • E-MAIL [email protected] • WEBSITE www.wyoleg.gov PAGE 4 OF 8 Committee Action Representative Blake moved that the Committee sponsor 20LSO-0035 v0.6 Wildlife conservation account. The motion passed unanimously by a roll call vote. Representative Newsome moved that the Committee sponsor 20LSO-0036 v0.5 Wildlife conservation efforts-1, as amended. The motion passed unanimously by a roll call vote. The Committee made the following amendments: Page 5-line 6 After “establish” insert “facilities”. Page 5-line 7 Delete