Alaska's Governor Parnell signed House Bill 15 on Tuesday, this bill changes the definition of of commercial motor vehicles to exclude one-ton pickups and vans that are normally used by smaller businesses in Alaska.

This change will eliminate unnecessary and burdensome regulations for many of Alaska’s small businesses.

The bill, sponsored by Representatives Wes Keller and Doug Isaacson, was supported by the Alaska Trucking Association. The language in the original bill written in 1999 mandated that those smaller trucks and vans had to be registered as commercial vehicles, costing small businesses extra dollars for insurance and inspection fees.

“HB 15 is a bill that has been worked on for two sessions and has been thoroughly vetted through the legislative process,” Keller, R-Wasilla, said. “This has been a team effort between the Department of Transportation, the Legislature and the private sector involved in trucking and using trucks for business. It is a win-win for companies using standard heavy duty pick-ups and vans for their business. I feel it will save money for all businesses that use trucks to conduct intrastate commerce.”

Governor Parnell said in a statement after signing the bill, “This legislation will help Alaska small business owners reduce transportation costs and eliminate regulatory red tape. There is no reason these business owners should be hurt by unnecessary costs and burdensome regulations.”

“HB 15 is one of those bills that you feel good about sponsoring because it represents the good things that legislators can do to improve Alaska for everyone,” Keller said.

“This is a bill that reduces costs and burdensome regulations on small businesses,” John McConnochie, a Juneau small business owner, said. “Small businesses are an important driver in Alaska’s economy and making it easier for them to do business is one way to spur development.”

The bill took effect at signing.