[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6089943,"mediaKeyId","2870707-ede0af3141463fbcce85dd99defd713f","parentId",2870707,"title","DOT outlines expanded tribal coordination: tribal team, STIP outreach, bridge funding and regional planning pilots","audioSeconds",2564,"startMs",3379000,"endMs",5943000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2870707-ede0af3141463fbcce85dd99defd713f&start=3379&end=5943","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2870707-ede0af3141463fbcce85dd99defd713f/thumbnail_3379000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6089943/Alaska/DOT-outlines-expanded-tribal-coordination-tribal-team-STIP-outreach-bridge-funding-and-regional-planning-pilots","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6089943-d5a79975fe6450e93267e54eaa65ad24/orig.mp4?Expires=1771171131&Signature=NcdkRQM-kHnRXORQI5OgLvKBb0x~OSvt-nh1C8WVngaUVwCv1gNFD7bQj~696E1kNBCOCVvYBp07myU8XlrOj6hZ7UNFJj-FxLmdHP-xS4cj0DNPVNwZCEsTfbv9Uk3KvwR39wZtfL4bVtqfgNxcOtoaWL-5vnnhfihja~iE9HhitT6OKztJ132xhNY-XLi4jrbUM5q-vWe6TwyzZncIQg3wYfI4ySiC~V4QpuFMXF7QbkJeFfn2lsu9Bd1gdf8-MNVbSU1SmihlBXX-lbYXHfBSj1kDCeOXD6F-i4S8PriziUZAIPsfvciTVc4m6vBO8nrl-SS5Td9QL0lqv8lQlQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Alaska Legislature","date","2025-04-03T00:00:00Z","article","Shannon McCarthy, communications director for the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOT&PF), and DOT planning leaders presented the department's efforts to expand coordination with Alaska Native tribes at the Senate Transportation Committee on April 3.

DOT officials said they have moved from a single tribal liaison to a multi-person tribal team to provide sustained engagement and to avoid having outreach rely on a single staff member. \"We really are trying very hard to individualize our approach with different communities,\" said Sarah Lucey, Northern Region Planning Manager.

Tools and outreach: DOT identified several ongoing and planned actions to increase engagement: targeted outreach and translation options for the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) amendments; multiple consultations as part of the federally required statewide functional classification update; early outreach for the statewide long-range transportation plan kickoff; quarterly tribal coordination calls (pilots in the Interior and Mat-Su regions); community transportation workshops in rural hubs; and a revamped tribal relations website with collaboration tools and contacts.

Funding and partnerships: DOT described grant and funding mechanisms being used to partner with tribes, including discretionary grant applications that involve tribal support (Elliott Highway corridor study covering communities such as Minto and Tanana; Talkeetna Spur culvert upgrades with Knik Tribal support; Glen Highway separated-path scoping with Chikaloon Native Village). DOT highlighted Tribal Transportation Program (TTP) bridge funding used in partnership with tribes (example: Hot Springs Slough bridge on the Elliott Highway, design underway and construction currently scheduled for FY 2028). DOT staff also described a 23 USC 202(a)(9) fund-transfer mechanism that allows federal highway funds to be transferred into tribal program authorities where appropriate, explaining that the transfer relocates funds under a tribal authority with different administrative rules.

Capacity-building and pilots: DOT noted it has designated three pilot regional planning organizations (RPOs) to build local planning capacity in rural areas and is partnering on a $2 million federal regional capacity grant that includes direct allocations for disadvantaged communities. The department said it is expanding outreach to regional Native corporations, and staff reported ongoing weekly coordination with FHWA on outstanding STIP consultation items.

Questions from senators focused on implementation detail: Senators asked about translation services and quality control for indigenous languages (DOT said it coordinates with its civil-rights division and uses qualified translators for languages such as Yup'ik), how the bridge funding eligibility relates to tribal inventory lists, and whether fund transfers provide more administrative flexibility than traditional transfer-of-responsibility agreements. DOT staff answered that 229 federally recognized tribes and the state's vast geography require tailored approaches, and that many of the new procedures are intended to increase continuous engagement rather than transactional notice-only contacts.

Outcome: The presentation was informational; the committee asked follow-up questions and indicated interest in maps and regional detail for members. No formal committee action or vote followed the presentation.

Context: DOT officials present included Shannon McCarthy (communications director), Sarah Lucey (Northern Region Planning Manager), and Judy Chapman (Deputy Director of Planning). Senators and committee members raised regional concerns ranging from Southeast ferry and road connections to priorities for bridge replacements and RPO formation.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","04/03/2025 01:30 PM Senate TRANSPORTATION","oneSentenceSummary","DOT officials told the Senate Transportation Committee they are expanding tribal engagement through a multi-person tribal team, targeted STIP outreach with translation options, pilot tribal coordination calls, TTP bridge funding partnerships, 23 USC 202(a)(9) fund transfers, and RPO pilots.","taxTitle","2025 Legislature Alaska, Alaska","taxId",78559,"location","Alaska","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":44,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6089948,"Senate committee hears bill to require platforms such as Turo to collect state vehicle-rental tax; bill set aside",2496,883000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2870707-ede0af3141463fbcce85dd99defd713f&start=883&end=3379","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2870707-ede0af3141463fbcce85dd99defd713f/thumbnail_883000.jpg","/articles/6089948/Alaska/Senate-committee-hears-bill-to-require-platforms-such-as-Turo-to-collect-state-vehicle-rental-tax-bill-set-aside","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6089948-529a80020d759fd4f3ecc8c477fd05e7/orig.mp4?Expires=1771171131&Signature=PdDmffhrMKTeg4l90f9piIQaLwQIbf~z4X8IthQrVy~8TeulwIUruHJL2i8tnEVY7ze6PQJtTIQ3Tzsryt4DkCgJvdLG3gg2ni4kgLUepIM~bOdqwaO~OaJ58o~Al5PYC-qDoiL1Kaafv81Z39qs2vxfIwDftxe6n7LE7QIDFo2Ddl8Dt1LFdtDaPe65fu4EupOW-wnnsM6R9bfNo6yuP7xJzkriUsBVoIkcamC-ZIxb1R8g7hKJC9El0hBoRq13LPM2IjDk3OpiZEAlLDMpodBzrkVmljS86MEGNpETOlYsyGx0rdhRucG-1uEHan62~hmuHbUvy9m4-vkSVl11gw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senator Matt Klayman, sponsor of Senate Bill 138, told the Senate Transportation Committee on April 3 that the use of peer-to-peer vehicle-rental platforms such as Turo and Getaround has risen sharply and that many hosts do not know how to collect or remit the existing state vehicle-rental tax.

Klayman said the bill would require rental platforms to collect the existing tax and remit it to the Department of Revenue, lower the rate for platform transactions from 10% to 8%, and prohibit retroactive collection of unpaid state rental taxes. \"Senate Bill 138 requires vehicle rental platforms like Turo to collect the existing state rental tax and remit the tax to the Department of Revenue,\" Klayman said.

Why it matters: vehicle-rental tax receipts have long been used to support Department of Transportation programs and state parks. Claire Holland LeClaire, a former member of a state parks advisory board, told the committee that vehicle-rental tax receipts supply roughly half of the operating budget for state parks in the current fiscal year and urged the committee not to adopt a lower tax rate for platforms.

Discussion and testimony: municipal officials from the Municipality of Anchorage described a local ordinance that requires hosting platforms to collect the city's rental tax and said platform collection simplified administration. Paula Birmingham, tax enforcement officer for the Municipality of Anchorage, told the committee that the city enforces collection by requiring platforms to register and remit and that the city did not pursue back taxes from hosts because of the administrative burden.

Brandon Spanos, Deputy Director, Tax Division, Alaska Department of Revenue, said the department has no reliable statewide estimate of uncollected tax and that its fiscal note is indeterminate. Spanos described past efforts to obtain platform customer lists through subpoena, and said courts limited enforcement of subpoenas outside Alaska; the bill contains language intended to allow cross-border subpoena enforcement for in-state transactions. Spanos also described how IRS 1099-K reporting changes (a phased-in reduction of the reporting threshold) should eventually provide the department more data about platform payments but that the IRS reporting cadence has lagged.

Committee members questioned enforcement and equity: Senator Kiel and others asked why the bill would set a different tax rate for platform rentals than for traditional rental companies and whether that would pick winners and losers. Senators also pressed whether Department of Revenue could instead use its existing regulatory authority to collect unpaid taxes without new legislation. Senator Stedman and others requested a financial breakdown from the Department of Revenue to show how much revenue might be at stake.

Outcome and next steps: The committee did not vote on the bill. Chairman Bjorkman said, \"That's probably good. At this time, we'll set Senate Bill 138 aside for future consideration at a meeting coming up soon.\" No motion or vote was recorded in the transcript; the item was postponed for further committee consideration.

Credits and context: Committee testimony included the sponsor and his staff, representatives from the Municipality of Anchorage and the Alaska Department of Revenue, and public commenters. No formal fiscal estimate was provided during the hearing; the Department of Revenue has described its fiscal note as indeterminate.","Senate Bill 138 would require vehicle-rental platforms to collect and remit Alaska's vehicle-rental tax, lower the platform rate to 8% while leaving traditional rental companies at 10%, and bar retroactive collection; the committee took testimony and set the bill aside for later consideration.","actionData","errors"]

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DOT outlines expanded tribal coordination: tribal team, STIP outreach, bridge funding and regional planning pilots

Senate committee hears bill to require platforms such as Turo to collect state vehicle-rental tax; bill set aside