Legislature(2001 - 2002)
04/04/2001 03:40 PM Senate RES
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* first hearing in first committee of referral
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= bill was previously heard/scheduled
SB 35-ELECTRONIC FISH & GAME LICENSURE
CHAIRMAN JOHN TORGERSON called the Senate Resources Committee
meeting to order at 3:40 p.m. and announced SB 35 to be up for
consideration.
MR. KEVIN BROOKS, Director, Division of Administrative Service,
Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G), said that at the end of
1999 the department had application available on the Internet for
purchase of fish and game licenses, which proved to be popular.
ADF&G sold nearly 10,000 pieces of stock and generated over
$800,000 of revenue using this method. The total revenue for ADF&G
for one year is about $23 million and 700,000 - 800,000 pieces of
stock. The response from the public has been very positive, but
ADF&G has found that the statutes as written presume a paper
process. The Internet application takes 24 - 48 hours for the
department to process. It works well for non-residents because
there is a lot more preplanning that goes into their trips, but
ADF&G is trying to bridge the gap for those people who would want
to fish the same day. He said ADF&G does not anticipate that
Internet applications will take the place of over-the-counter
sales. ADF&G has over 1,500 vendors statewide that it appreciates
doing business with.
SB 35 would allow ADF&G, in conjunction with the Department of
Public Safety and the Fish and Wildlife Protection, to develop a
paperless method of issuing licenses. Currently four other states,
Idaho, Georgia, Oklahoma, and Florida, use a "smart number." The
number includes digits that identify the license year and gender of
the individual and possibly other information. The number would be
encoded and the bill would require the individual who decides to
purchase a license in this manner to agree to carry a picture I.D.,
which would help enforcement.
MR. BROOKS said ADF&G is trying to take three things into account
in changing the licensing system: it wants to make sure it is
enhancing public service; it is not doing anything to jeopardize
enforcement efforts; and it is not doing anything that would
negatively affect the revenue stream.
He said ADF&G has attempted to address some of the potential issues
by requiring a best interest finding and getting the concurrence of
the Division of Enforcement, which has expressed concerns about
going paperless. Another issue of importance is finding a good way
to record the harvest. The bill would give legislative approval to
pursue electronic licensing.
CHAIRMAN TORGERSON said he had some of the same concerns about
recording harvest.
MR. BROOKS said they have discussed whether making the licensing
system easier for a person would make someone who is otherwise
honest more prone to cheat on a license. He said ADF&G needs to
work with the Board of Game to find an effective way to use a
harvest ticket that is based on the honor system.
CHAIRMAN TORGERSON responded "It's only an honor system if you got
away with it."
MR. BROOKS agreed. He said that a person is supposed to record a
harvest "while the slime is still on your hands."
CHAIRMAN TORGERSON said he didn't see how a person, "could do it
with a beautiful picture I.D. card that says Alaska Fish and Game
on it."
MR. BROOKS responded that a separate harvest ticket would be the
option.
CHAIRMAN TORGERSON replied then ADF&G has to mail it so it might as
well keep the other system.
MR. BROOKS responded that he didn't view that as a reason not to
try to make this a better system.
CHAIRMAN TORGERSON said he would like to see the whole system
before he gives him a bill.
SENATOR ELTON said it seems that one of the check points that may
get to that issue is that this will not happen unless the Division
of Enforcement concurs that it works for them.
CAPTAIN HOWARD STARBARD, Division of Wildlife Protection,
Department of Public Safety (DPS), said the bill as written would
cause the Department of Fish and Game to get concurrence from his
commissioner when the system would come up. He thought electronic
licensing and recording of harvest would be hard to enforce.
CHAIRMAN TORGERSON asked if he envisioned that each officer would
use some sort of mini-computer to look up an I.D. number to see if
it's current.
CAPTAIN STARBARD answered affirmatively and said that they could
use something like a palm pilot.
SENATOR ELTON noted the bill has a zero fiscal note, but that they
would allow the vendor to assess up to $3 more for the issuance of
a permit or license electronically, but the $3 would be retained by
the vendor so it doesn't increase revenues to the department at
all.
MR. BROOKS responded that is correct and explained that currently a
vendor gets 5 percent of the gross sale, plus $1 per item. The
commission for a fishing license and a king salmon stamp is about
$3 for a resident. A non-resident sale is substantially higher. He
pointed out that section really only applies if the department
contracts with someone to do it for them. Currently, the Internet
sales are made by the state so no vendor commission is paid. All of
the money goes into the ADF&G fund.
SENATOR ELTON asked if this could show a positive fiscal impact
because the more licenses the department sells electronically, the
less discount it will be giving to vendors.
MR. BROOKS replied that is correct. He added that the database
often has a 90 - 100 day lag to data capture using a vendor who
reports monthly. With Internet sales, there's instant update of the
database and the department doesn't have to hire someone to capture
the data.
CHAIRMAN TORGERSON said they could use a driver's license so they
aren't giving everyone new numbers.
MR. BROOKS said they discussed drivers' licenses, but not every one
carries a license either.
CHAIRMAN TORGERSON said the committee would set this aside until
Mr. Brooks came back with a master plan.
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