Legislature(2019 - 2020)GRUENBERG 120
03/18/2020 05:00 PM House FISHERIES
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB247 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| += | HB 247 | TELECONFERENCED | |
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
HOUSE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON FISHERIES
March 18, 2020
5:04 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Louise Stutes, Chair
Representative Chuck Kopp
Representative Geran Tarr
Representative Sarah Vance
MEMBERS ABSENT
Representative Bryce Edgmon
Representative Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins
Representative Mark Neuman
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
HOUSE BILL NO. 247
"An Act relating to the fish and game fund; establishing the
sport fishing enhancement surcharge; relating to the repeal of
the sport fishing facility surcharge; providing for an effective
date by amending the effective date of sec. 21, ch. 18, SLA
2016; and providing for an effective date."
- MOVED CSHB 247(FSH) OUT OF COMMITTEE
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
BILL: HB 247
SHORT TITLE: SPORT FISHING ENHANCEMENT SURCHARGE
SPONSOR(s): RULES BY REQUEST OF THE GOVERNOR
02/12/20 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
02/12/20 (H) FSH, FIN
02/20/20 (H) FSH AT 11:00 AM GRUENBERG 120
02/20/20 (H) Heard & Held
02/20/20 (H) MINUTE(FSH)
02/27/20 (H) FSH AT 10:00 AM GRUENBERG 120
02/27/20 (H) -- MEETING CANCELED --
03/03/20 (H) FSH AT 10:00 AM GRUENBERG 120
03/03/20 (H) -- MEETING CANCELED --
03/05/20 (H) FSH AT 10:00 AM GRUENBERG 120
03/05/20 (H) -- MEETING CANCELED --
03/10/20 (H) FSH AT 11:00 AM GRUENBERG 120
03/10/20 (H) Heard & Held
03/10/20 (H) MINUTE(FSH)
03/12/20 (H) FSH AT 10:00 AM GRUENBERG 120
03/12/20 (H) <Bill Hearing Canceled>
03/17/20 (H) FSH AT 10:00 AM GRUENBERG 120
03/17/20 (H) -- Meeting Postponed to 5:00 pm 3/18/20 --
03/18/20 (H) FSH AT 5:00 PM GRUENBERG 120
WITNESS REGISTER
MATT GRUENING, Staff
Representative Louise Stutes
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Presented the proposed committee substitute
for HB 247, on behalf of the House Rules Standing Committee,
sponsor by request of the governor.
DOUG VINCENT-LANG, Commissioner
Alaska Department of Fish & Game
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Offered feedback pertaining to the proposed
CS for HB 247.
ACTION NARRATIVE
5:04:24 PM
CHAIR LOUISE STUTES called the House Special Committee on
Fisheries meeting to order at 5:04 p.m. Representatives Stutes,
Kopp, Tarr, and Vance were present at the call to order.
HB 247-SPORT FISHING ENHANCEMENT SURCHARGE
5:04:46 PM
CHAIR STUTES announced that the only order of business would be
HOUSE BILL NO. 247, "An Act relating to the fish and game fund;
establishing the sport fishing enhancement surcharge; relating
to the repeal of the sport fishing facility surcharge; providing
for an effective date by amending the effective date of sec. 21,
chi 18, SLA 2016; and providing for an effective date."
5:05:10 PM
REPRESENTATIVE KOPP moved to adopt the proposed committee
substitute (CS) for HB 247, Version 31-GH2165\U, Klein, 3/16/20,
as a work draft.
5:05:22 PM
CHAIR STUTES objected to the motion, for the purpose of
discussion.
5:05:34 PM
MATT GRUENING, Staff, Representative Louise Stutes, Alaska State
Legislature, presented the CS for HB 247, ("Version U"), on
behalf of the House Rules Standing Committee, sponsor by request
of the governor. He stated that page 1 of Version U would
change the title of HB 247, by removing establishing the sport
fishing enhancement surcharge; relating to the repeal of the
sport fishing facility surcharge and replacing it with
relating to a sport fishing surcharge.
MR. GRUENING explained that in addition to the title change,
Version U would make three basic changes to HB 247. The first
change has to do with ADF&G allocations; it addresses the [sport
fishing enhancement surcharge], which, under the original bill
version would have been reduced by $5.00 [as shown on page 2,
lines 26, through page 3, line 5]. Version U would change that
reduction to $2.50, [as shown on page 2, line 31, through page
3, line 10]. He indicated that the amount of $2.50 was a
compromise reached by the committee.
MR. GRUENING said the second change would split the surcharge
into two different allocations. [This change is in Section 1,
on page 1, line 13, through page 2, line 5, which read as
follows:]
(1) $2.50 of each surcharge collected
to fisheries management, fisheries research, invasive
species suppression and eradication, habitat
restoration, and ongoing maintenance of the
department's sport fishing facilities and sport
fishing hatcher facilities; and
(2) the remainder of each surcharge
collected to sport fishing stock enhancement and
ongoing maintenance of the department's sport fishing
hatchery facilities.
MR. GRUENING explained that in the original bill version, the
allocation had been restricted to: "for maintenance and
enhancement of sport fisheries".
MR. GRUENING stated that the third change under Version U was
the removal of the special nonresident military small game and
sport fishing license, that was on [page 3, lines 3-4 of the
original bill version], because ADF&G has discontinued that
license.
5:07:30 PM
CHAIR STUTES removed her objection to the motion to adopt the
proposed committee substitute (CS) for HB 247, Version 31-
GH2165\U, Klein, 3/16/20, as a work draft. There being no
further objection, Version U was before the committee.
5:07:53 PM
DOUG VINCENT-LANG, Commissioner, Alaska Department of Fish &
Game, in response to Chair Stutes, said he had not seen the
exact language of Version U but was familiar with the concepts.
He expressed that the original version of HB 247 was carefully
crafted by ADF&G in an attempt to reach a compromise between the
commitment we had made originally when the bill went away,
versus having it move forward. He expressed ADF&G's
willingness to work with [the committee] to see that HB 247
moves forward.
5:08:34 PM
REPRESENTATIVE TARR commented that she is fine with the
compromise of a slightly reduced fee amount but thinks that, in
moving forward with the financial challenges the state is
facing, there will need to be opportunities for Alaskans to
contribute to things that they really care about. She expressed
that she would have supported keeping the fee the same and going
towards department needs; however, she said that she will
support the compromise that reduces the fee, and she hopes that
ADF&G will continue to do good work to keep the fisheries
healthy.
5:09:11 PM
CHAIR STUTES remarked that its a good deal when you like it a
little bit and you dont like it a little bit, which she said
she thinks is the current situation. She expressed that she,
her staff, and the commissioner were able to come to a
compromise with which they are comfortable.
5:09:29 PM
REPRESENTATIVE KOPP moved to report CSHB 247, Version 31-
GH2165\U, Klein, 3/16/20, out of committee with individual
recommendations and the accompanying fiscal note. There being
no objection, CSHB 247(FSH) was reported from the House Special
Committee on Fisheries.
5:09:56 PM
CHAIR STUTES remarked that there have been a lot of concerns
from the fishing communities about how the COVID-19 outbreak
might affect the processing, shipping, and price of seafood this
coming season, and she expressed that it is not going to be a
good year. She stated that as the chair of the House Special
Committee on Fisheries and the Representative of a fishing
district, she shares those concerns. She noted for anyone
watching that talks are ongoing with processors regarding their
plans to provide for the work force this season, and that work
is underway at the legislature currently to help support small
businesses and the workforce through a difficult time.
5:10:49 PM
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the committee, the House
Special Committee on Fisheries meeting was adjourned at 5:11
p.m.
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