Legislature(2021 - 2022)BUTROVICH 205

03/16/2022 03:30 PM Senate RESOURCES

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Audio Topic
03:31:55 PM Start
03:32:34 PM SB204
03:43:37 PM Adjourn
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+= SB 204 HUNTING PERMIT/TAG AUCTIONS/RAFFLES TELECONFERENCED
Moved CSSB 204(RES) Out of Committee
+ Bills Previously Heard/Scheduled TELECONFERENCED
**Streamed live on AKL.tv**
            SB 204-HUNTING PERMIT/TAG AUCTIONS/RAFFLES                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
3:32:34 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR REVAK  announced the consideration  of SENATE BILL  NO. 204                                                               
"An  Act relating  to  auctions or  raffles  for hunting  harvest                                                               
permits and big game tags; and providing for an effective date."                                                                
                                                                                                                                
He solicited a motion to  adopt the proposed committee substitute                                                               
that reflects the  desire to continue to identify  the license as                                                               
the "Governor's license."                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
3:33:14 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  MICCICHE  moved  to  adopt  CSSB  204,  work  order  32-                                                               
LS1391\W, as the working document.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR REVAK objected for purposes of discussion.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
3:33:36 PM                                                                                                                    
EMMA  TORKELSON,   Staff,  Senator   Josh  Revak,   Alaska  State                                                               
Legislature,  Juneau,   Alaska,  presented  the   explanation  of                                                               
changes between version I and version W for SB 204.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
[Original punctuation provided.]                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
                     EXPLANATION OF CHANGES                                                                                   
                 Senate Resources CS for SB 204                                                                               
                     Version-I to Version-W                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
     Page 3 Lines 3-5                                                                                                         
     Changes inscription on the  license back to "Governor's                                                                    
     license"   and  adds   language  that   designates  the                                                                    
     Commissioner of the Department of  Fish and Game as the                                                                    
     issuing authority of the permits.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
     Page 4 Line 3                                                                                                            
     Removes Section 4 Subsection (h) as recent changes to                                                                    
     regulation rendered the subsection moot.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
     Page 4 Line 4                                                                                                            
        Replaces the Jan 1, 2023 effective date with an                                                                         
     immediate effective date.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
MS.  TORKELSON stated  that if  this  bill passes,  organizations                                                               
will be able to conduct raffles this fall.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
3:35:01 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR   REVAK  withdrew   his  objection.   Finding  no   further                                                               
objection, CSSB 204, version W, was adopted.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR REVAK  asked Ms.  Torkelson to provide  a brief  summary of                                                               
the bill.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
3:35:38 PM                                                                                                                    
MS.  TORKELSON  stated   that  SB  204  will   allow  the  Alaska                                                               
Department of Fish and Game  (ADF&G) to maintain sufficient funds                                                               
that  are   critical  to  both   the  department   and  nonprofit                                                               
organizations  to support  conservation  and wildlife  protection                                                               
measures.  Additionally,   the  increased  revenue   through  the                                                               
auction  and  permit license  program  will  help the  department                                                               
leverage  up  to $18  million  in  new federal  Pittman-Robertson                                                               
funds that will be available  this year for wildlife conservation                                                               
and  protection  programs  throughout the  state.  The  immediate                                                               
effective  date  in the  committee  substitute  will allow  these                                                               
nonprofits to  hold raffles  for permits this  year. The  CS also                                                               
retains  the  more  special  sounding  "Governor's  license"  and                                                               
facilitates  the  department  in   getting  the  licenses  issued                                                               
quickly once an individual has won a permit.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
3:36:49 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR STEVENS  asked whether the department  makes the decision                                                               
about the island on which a permit holder may hunt.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR REVAK directed Mr. Grasser to address the question.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
3:37:25 PM                                                                                                                    
EDDIE  GRASSER,  Director,  Division  of  Wildlife  Conservation,                                                               
Alaska Department  of Fish and  Game (ADF&G),  Anchorage, Alaska,                                                               
explained  that  the  application  form  for  auction  or  raffle                                                               
permits allows  an organization  to list  the permit  requests in                                                               
order  of preference  for a  species from  first choice  to fifth                                                               
choice.  Only one  species may  be selected,  so an  organization                                                               
that selects  Afognak elk could  not apply  for an elk  permit in                                                               
any other location.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
3:37:40 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR KAWASAKI joined the meeting.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR STEVENS asked where the Etolin Island herd was located.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
MR.  GRASSER  answered  that  the   Etolin  Island  herd  was  in                                                               
Southeast Alaska, just north of Ketchikan.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  STEVENS offered  his understanding  that the  department                                                               
does not  select the herd that  is attached to the  permit. If an                                                               
organization applies for  and wins the raffle for  an Afognak elk                                                               
permit, that is where the hunt will take place.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
MR. GRASSER  answered that  is correct;  an organization  that is                                                               
granted an  elk permit on Etolin  Island will get the  permit for                                                               
Etolin Island.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
3:39:20 PM                                                                                                                    
MS. TORKELSON  clarified that the  department is not  required to                                                               
make permits available  if it has determined that  the herd can't                                                               
sustain a hunt.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR STEVENS asked if someone  who successfully applied for an                                                               
Afognak  Island  permit  would have  the  opportunity  to  select                                                               
another location if the department  determined that permits would                                                               
not be issued for Afognak Island.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
MS.  TORKELSON  offered  her understanding  that  the  department                                                               
would not donate  a permit if it had already  determined the herd                                                               
could not sustain the hunt.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
3:40:50 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  MICCICHE  asked  whether  the number  of  bison  permits                                                               
available for auction or raffle was  the same in both versions of                                                               
the bill.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
MS.  TORKELSON  confirmed  that the  number  of  available  bison                                                               
permits was the same in both version I and version W.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR REVAK found no further  questions or comments and solicited                                                               
a motion.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
3:42:31 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR MICCICHE  moved to  report the CS  for SB  204(RES), work                                                               
order 32-LS1391\W, from committee  with attached fiscal notes and                                                               
individual recommendations.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR REVAK  found no  objection and  CSSB 204(RES)  was reported                                                               
from the Senate Resources Standing Committee.                                                                                   

Document Name Date/Time Subjects
SB 204 Explanation of Changes 3.16.2022.pdf SRES 3/16/2022 3:30:00 PM
SB 204
W.pdf SRES 3/16/2022 3:30:00 PM
SB 204
SB 204 RHAK Letter 3.14.22.pdf HRES 4/29/2022 1:00:00 PM
SRES 3/16/2022 3:30:00 PM
SB 204