2023-05-17                     Senate Journal                      Page 1231
SB 156                                                                                                                        
SENATE BILL NO. 156 BY THE SENATE RULES COMMITTEE                                                                               
BY REQUEST OF THE GOVERNOR, entitled:                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
          "An Act relating to commercial passenger vessel                                                                       
          environmental compliance; relating to commercial                                                                      
          passenger vessel fees; establishing the wastewater                                                                    
          infrastructure grant fund; repealing the authority for                                                                
          citizens' suits relating to commercial passenger vessel                                                               
          environmental compliance; and providing for an                                                                        
          effective date."                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
was read the first time and referred to the Resources and Finance                                                               
Committees.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
The following fiscal information was published today:                                                                           
 Fiscal Note No. 1, Department of Environmental Conservation                                                                    
 Fiscal Note No. 2, zero, Department of Transportation and Public                                                               
          Facilities                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
Governor's transmittal letter dated May 16:                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Dear President Stevens:                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Under the authority of Article III, Section 18, of the Alaska                                                                   
Constitution, I am transmitting a bill relating to commercial passenger                                                         
vessel environmental compliance.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
This bill is an overhaul of the commercial passenger vessel                                                                     
environmental compliance program created by ballot initiative in                                                                
2006. It replaces the Ocean Ranger on-board cruise ship monitoring                                                              
program with a program designed by the Department of                                                                            
Environmental Conservation’s (DEC) water and air quality technical                                                              
staff that will be more efficient and effective in protecting Alaska’s                                                          
environment. It changes the statutory environmental compliance fee                                                              
applied to commercial passenger vessels and provides options for an                                                             
owner or operator of a commercial passenger vessel to reduce the                                                                
environmental compliance fee by participating in electronic                                                                     
monitoring of wastewater discharge, applying for a rebate based on the                                                          

2023-05-17                     Senate Journal                      Page 1232
vessel’s total number of unoccupied lower berths in a year, or both.                                                            
The bill also adjusts wastewater discharge definitions and aligns the                                                           
commercial passenger vessel environmental compliance program                                                                    
within DEC’s regulatory structure.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
The proposal has delayed effective dates, particularly for small                                                                
commercial vessels, that will allow for uniform implementation and                                                              
time for the industry to come into compliance with the new law. It                                                              
would remove and repeal many aspects of the existing chapter, while                                                             
retaining the core structure and enabling DEC to adopt and implement                                                            
regulations.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Finally, the bill creates a new wastewater infrastructure grant fund that                                                       
would be available for municipal port communities that serve                                                                    
commercial passenger vessels to apply for and receive partial funding                                                           
toward establishing, upgrading, or improving wastewater treatment                                                               
systems or facilities.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
I urge your prompt and favorable action on this measure.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Sincerely,                                                                                                                      
/s/                                                                                                                             
Mike Dunleavy                                                                                                                   
Governor