02/21/1996 05:03 PM House FSH

 HB 175 - SPORT FISH GUIDE LICENSING                                         
                                                                               
 Number 2143                                                                   
                                                                               
 CHAIRMAN AUSTERMAN pointed out that the committee would not take              
 testimony on HB 175 that evening.                                             
                                                                               
 REPRESENTATIVE DAVIS moved to place CSHB 175, work draft R, on the            
 table for discussion.  There being no objection, it was so ordered.           
                                                                               
 Number 2217                                                                   
                                                                               
 AMY DAUGHERTY, Legislative Assistant to Representative Austerman,             
 sponsor of HB 175, explained the changes made since the last work             
 draft for the bill.  She mentioned there were a lot of little                 
 changes but only two main ones.  First, they had pulled out the               
 "transporter" section.  She said this was removed to avoid                    
 complications and future problems, and could possibly be addressed            
 in other legislation.  Second, in response to requests by small               
 business operators, the language had been changed so that an                  
 operator/guide license could be obtained without going to more than           
 one agency location.  In addition, Ms. Daugherty explained, all the           
 language referring to physically being on a vessel had been moved             
 to the definitions section.                                                   
                                                                               
 Number 2272                                                                   
                                                                               
 REPRESENTATIVE DAVIS expressed appreciation for the stack of                  
 letters that had been received.  One thing that had struck him                
 involved concerns over insurance requirements.  He asked if there             
 had been a history of claims and problems driving the issue.  He              
 noted that in the testimony received, there did not seem to be a              
 history of claims.  He wondered if light could be shed as to the              
 need for that provision.                                                      
                                                                               
 Number 2316                                                                   
                                                                               
 CHAIRMAN AUSTERMAN responded that originally, the insurance                   
 provision was for $500,000, with a $1 million aggregate.  After               
 receiving testimony, they had lowered the requirement to $300,000.            
 Chairman Austerman explained the language had been drafted from the           
 big game license procedures, which originally contained an                    
 insurance clause that had been eliminated.  Chairman Austerman said           
 the committee had received a couple of remarks in reference to                
 dropping it from the bill entirely.  On the other hand, they had              
 received comments from industry people saying it was a good thing             
 to have, as it made the industry responsible and provided a certain           
 level of comfort to tourists and people coming to the state to use            
 the services.  He pointed out that he himself had no argument                 
 either way.  However, another argument was that there was no                  
 requirement, for example, that doctors have certain levels of                 
 insurance.                                                                    
                                                                               
 Number 2370                                                                   
                                                                               
 REPRESENTATIVE DAVIS referred to the language coming from big game            
 regulations or statutes; he thought going after a fish was                    
 different from going after a bear or moose.  He mentioned letters             
 received from Fairbanks that indicated there was no problem there             
 and that regionalization would be nice.  He said, "I probably                 
 disagree with that, having lived on the Kenai River for thirty                
 years.  You can see that thirty years ago, there wasn't a problem             
 there, either.  And probably twenty years ago, there wasn't.  So              
 get ready, because these sport fishermen love to fish and streams             
 are drying up all over the world."  He wondered if Alaska might be            
 accommodating the whole world soon.  He indicated that people in              
 his area were not opposed to the legislation.  "I think we're on              
 the right track," he said, adding that he was not sure the                    
 legislation could not be improved somehow.  He noted that a lot of            
 work and a lot of testimony had gone into the legislation.  He said           
 he looked forward to the House Resources Committee "hashing it out            
 a little more."                                                               
                                                                               
 Number 2455                                                                   
                                                                               
 CHAIRMAN AUSTERMAN replied that indeed, in the Fairbanks area there           
 was concern about the bill.  In interior Alaska, there was concern            
 by guides on the rivers, as well.                                             
                                                                               
 TAPE 96-7, SIDE B                                                             
 Number 0001                                                                   
                                                                               
 CHAIRMAN AUSTERMAN suggested that if the Department of Fish and               
 Game (ADF&G) later felt that fish other than salmon and halibut               
 needed to have reports done on them, they could later come back and           
 do that.  He pointed out that some requirements had been removed              
 from the legislation.  For example, there had been concern over the           
 Coast Guard license.  People had been worried they would need that            
 license to run a raft down a river, and there had been changes made           
 so that was no longer required.                                               
                                                                               
 Number 0033                                                                   
                                                                               
 CHAIRMAN AUSTERMAN continued, explaining that with changes made to            
 HB 175, both required licenses could now be obtained through ADF&G,           
 instead of having to go two places.  "We've got it down now to                
 where we basically want it, and that's just to register and to                
 report their catch so that the department has some kind of                    
 justification for what's going on," he said.                                  
                                                                               
 Number 0044                                                                   
                                                                               
 REPRESENTATIVE SCOTT OGAN indicated he thought it was a wise move             
 to drop the transporters out.  He said it had been a constant                 
 problem with hunting guides and a "major, major point of                      
 contention."  He acknowledged he had some problems with CSHB 175.             
 He wanted the record to reflect that he would not be objecting to             
 passing it out.  However, his recommendation was to amend it.  He             
 thought it needed to be simplified.  He also had philosophical                
 problems with "one branch of government enforcing two or three                
 other branches of the governments' regulations and licensing."  He            
 noted that hearings were scheduled the following day in Kenai,                
 which he thought would be productive.  He also thought the                    
 legislation should move along so that the House Resources Committee           
 could consider it.                                                            
                                                                               
 Number 0089                                                                   
                                                                               
 CHAIRMAN AUSTERMAN noted that HB 175 moved to the House Resources             
 Committee next.  There was also a scheduled House Resources                   
 Committee meeting in Kenai on Thursday and Friday, with HB 175                
 being heard there Friday afternoon.                                           
                                                                               
 Number 0103                                                                   
                                                                               
 REPRESENTATIVE ELTON said, "I think the problems that we may have             
 philosophically and practically with this are probably the                    
 licensing provisions and how you do that in the least onerous way.            
 I understand and I sympathize with Representative Ogan's concerns             
 there, but I hope when it gets to the Resources committee they also           
 recognize the main thrust of this is to gather the data to help               
 manage the different resources wisely.  And it's unfortunate that             
 the only way you can do that is through a registration program,               
 because it does bring up philosophical problems and practical                 
 problems."  He concluded by saying the data component of this was             
 where the real value came in.  He expressed appreciation for the              
 sponsor's efforts.                                                            
                                                                               
 Number 0146                                                                   
                                                                               
 REPRESENTATIVE DAVIS moved that CSHB 175 move out of committee,               
 with individual recommendations and accompanying fiscal notes, to             
 the House Resources Committee.  There being no objection, it was so           
 ordered.