JUNEAU — Both the Senate and the House passed their first bills of the 2012 legislative session Friday.

A measure that would create an advisory board to oversee community and public transportation development passed out of the House, and a measure that would treat permanent mobile homes like normal homes passed out of the Senate.

Both bills, which passed out of the chambers with unanimous approval, head to the opposite chamber for consideration before they go to Gov. Sean Parnell.

The House showed enthusiastic support for a measure to create the Alaska Community and Public Transportation Advisory Board to help oversee and coordinate long-term development of public transportation and road development in communities throughout the state.

Anchorage Rep. Mike Doogan stressed the importance of the bill in improving public transportation for disabled and elderly Alaskans. Doogan, who has limited vision, can’t drive and said he wouldn’t be able to get around without his wife to drive.

“I’m not fit to drive around my city and I have at least an idea of what it would be like for people who don’t have somebody to drive them around,” he said. “If I could vote for this — Mr. Speaker — I’d vote for it twice, but I can only vote for it once and I’m happy to do it.”

In the Senate a bill passed that would allow owners of mobile homes that have been permanently affixed to the property to be treated as traditional homes for reasons of taxes, loans and insurance. Traditionally, all mobile homes have been treated like vehicles, said the bill’s sponsor, Sen. Hollis French.

“This makes manufactured homes more expensive to finance and have lower resale values,” he said, “which reduces homeowners’ opportunities to enjoy property appreciation and build equity.”

For more updates on the 2012 session, follow Matt Buxton on Twitter at @FDNMpolitics.