03/30/2023 10:00 AM House FISHERIES
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB19 | |
| Adjourn |
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| += | HB 19 | TELECONFERENCED | |
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
HOUSE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON FISHERIES
March 30, 2023
10:00 a.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Sarah Vance, Chair
Representative Kevin McCabe
Representative CJ McCormick
Representative Ben Carpenter
Representative Louise Stutes
Representative Rebecca Himschoot
MEMBERS ABSENT
Representative Craig Johnson
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
HOUSE BILL NO. 19
"An Act relating to the registration of commercial vessels; and
providing for an effective date."
- HEARD & HELD
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
BILL: HB 19
SHORT TITLE: REGISTRATION OF BOATS: EXEMPTION
SPONSOR(s): REPRESENTATIVE(s) STUTES
01/19/23 (H) PREFILE RELEASED 1/9/23
01/19/23 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
01/19/23 (H) FSH, RES
02/02/23 (H) FSH AT 10:00 AM GRUENBERG 120
02/02/23 (H) Heard & Held
02/02/23 (H) MINUTE(FSH)
03/07/23 (H) FSH AT 10:00 AM GRUENBERG 120
03/07/23 (H) <Bill Hearing Canceled>
03/27/23 (H) FIN REPLACES RES REFERRAL
03/27/23 (H) BILL REPRINTED
03/30/23 (H) FSH AT 10:00 AM GRUENBERG 120
WITNESS REGISTER
DONNA PAGE, Staff
Representative Louise Stutes
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Presented HB 19, on behalf of
Representative Stutes, prime sponsor.
TRACY WELCH, Lobbyist
United Fishermen of Alaska
Petersburg, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Offered invited testimony during the
hearing on HB 19.
JEFFREY SCHMITZ, Director
Division of Motor Vehicles
Department of Administration
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Answered questions during the hearing on HB
19.
GLENN HAIGHT, Commissioner
Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Answered questions during the hearing on HB
19.
BRIAN HAWKINS, Port Director, Harbormaster
City of Homer;
Alaska Association of Harbormasters and Port Administrators
Homer, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Offered invited testimony during the
hearing on HB 19.
JERRY MCCUNE, Lobbyist
Cordova District Fishermen United
Cordova, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified during the hearing on HB 19.
ACTION NARRATIVE
10:00:53 AM
CHAIR SARAH VANCE called the House Special Committee on
Fisheries meeting to order at 10:00 a.m. Representatives
McCabe, Stutes, Himschoot, and Vance were present at the call to
order. Representative McCormick and Carpenter arrived as the
meeting was in progress.
HB 19-REGISTRATION OF BOATS: EXEMPTION
10:01:22 AM
CHAIR VANCE announced that the only order of business would be
HOUSE BILL NO. 19 "An Act relating to the registration of
commercial vessels; and providing for an effective date."
10:02:01 AM
REPRESENTATIVE STUTES, prime sponsor, reintroduced HB 19 and
paraphrased the first few paragraphs of the sponsor statement
[included in the committee packet], which read as follows
[original punctuation provided]:
House Bill 28 exempts active commercial fishing
vessels from duplicative registration requirements
created by the passage of SB 92, "the derelict vessel
bill," in 2018.
Specifically, the bill removes the requirement for
U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) documented vessels with a
current Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission (CFEC)
license to register every three years with the
Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV).
Prior to the passage of SB 92, USCG documented vessels
were exempt from DMV registration; however, that
exemption was repealed by the bill and as a result,
documented vessels now must register with the DMV.
10:03:02 AM
DONNA PAGE, Staff, Representative Louise Stutes, Alaska State
Legislature, on behalf of Representative Stutes, prime sponsor
of HB 19, paraphrased the remaining portion of the sponsor
statement [included in the committee packet], which read as
follows [original punctuation provided]:
The rationale for this requirement was to provide the
State and local municipalities with a state-maintained
database of who owns and operates vessels in Alaskan
waters, as well as how to contact those individuals.
However, the database CFEC maintains for commercial
fishing vessels was overlooked. Active commercial
fishing vessel owners must renew their vessel license
annually with the CFEC and the commission provides the
necessary contact information in a publicly
accessible, state database.
Alaska's commercial fishing fleet is the backbone of
one of our state's most vital industries. We should
not require those vessels to register every three
years with the DMV, at additional expense, only to
provide information that the State already has through
the vessel's annual license renewal process.
MS. PAGE added that HB 19 would institute an $8 annual fee for
vessels registered with the Commercial Fisheries Entry
Commission (CFEC), but this fee would be waived for vessel
owners who have paid the current $24 Division of Motor Vehicles
(DMV) fee in the past two years. The proceeds of the $8 fee
would go towards funding boating safety programs. She
emphasized that it would not be an additional fee for vessel
owners.
10:05:01 AM
MS. PAGE presented the sectional analysis for HB 19 [included in
the committee packet], which read as follows [original
punctuation provided]:
Section 1:
Amends AS 05.25.055(i) to exempt U.S. Coast Guard
(USCG) documented vessels with a valid license issued
by the Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission (CFEC)
from the requirement to register with the Division of
Motor Vehicles (DMV).
Section 2:
Adds new subsection (e) to AS 16.05.475 that requires
CFEC to assess an $8 registration fee for USCG
documented vessels upon a renewal or issuance of a
license beginning on January 1, 2024. This fee is in
lieu of the current 3-year, $24 registration or
renewal fee collected by DMV.
Adds new subsection (f) to AS 16.05.475 specifying
that fees collected in subsection (e) will be
accounted for as provided in AS 05.25.096(b), to be
made available to the Department of Administration,
the Department of Commerce Community and Economic
Development, and the Department of Natural Resources.
Section 3:
Adds a new section to uncodified law that requires
CFEC to waive the $8 registration fee for years that
USCG documented vessels have already paid through the
3-year, $24 registration fee with the DMV.
Section 4:
Adds a new section to the uncodified law that makes
Section 1 of this act retroactive to January 1, 2023.
Section 5:
Establishes an immediate effective date for the
remainder of the bill.
10:06:54 AM
REPRESENTATIVE CARPENTER inquired about the purpose of including
the provision on retroactivity.
REPRESENTATIVE STUTES replied that this is important because it
would allow individuals who have already paid duplicate fees to
receive credit.
10:08:00 AM
CHAIR VANCE proceeded with invited testimony.
10:08:20 AM
The committee took a brief at-ease.
10:09:48 AM
TRACY WELCH, Lobbyist, United Fisherman of Alaska, thanked
Representative Stutes and her office for their work on HB 19,
especially their work with the Department of Public Safety (DPS)
to make sure boats would not be fined. She explained that swift
action on this issue is important because currently many vessel
owners have been exempted, but DPS has not been able to "turn
the other way." She expressed the belief that HB 19 is a "fair
fix" to the problem and related her organizations full support.
CHAIR VANCE asked Ms. Welsh to give a real-time account of the
impact on the Alaskan fishing fleet when [Senate Bill 92 passed
during the Thirtieth Alaska State Legislature].
MS. WELCH related her experience with some of the issues that
occurred at local DMVs with the passage of Senate Bill 92. This
included that DMV had run out of permit decals, resulting in
wait times of 3 to 4 weeks in some smaller communities.
Additionally, she shared that even bigger offices, like Juneau,
ran out of stickers quickly. She relayed the sense of
uncertainty among vessel owners at that time, and this still
exists. She reported that DMVs are still facing a lack of
stickers and a large backlog of permits waiting to be awarded.
10:12:26 AM
REPRESENTATIVE MCCABE asked whether the CFEC database could be
accessed by DPS.
REPRESENTATIVE STUTES responded that DPS can access it through
the DMV, as they are both state departments, but she deferred to
the CFEC commissioner. She reported that HB 19 started as a
request from the harbormaster's office, which led her to presume
this access would be possible.
REPRESENTATIVE MCCABE restated his question about the two
databases and gave the example of a hypothetical emergency where
an Alaska State Trooper may need instantaneous access to permit
information. He clarified that he was referring to the DMV's
and CFEC's databases.
REPRESENTATIVE STUTES deferred the question.
10:14:56 AM
JEFFREY SCHMITZ, Director, Division of Motor Vehicles,
Department of Administration, responded that the databases are
not connected.
10:15:17 AM
REPRESENTATIVE MCCABE suggested that since the databases are not
connected there could be a time delay for [DPS agents] receiving
identifying information about a vessel during emergencies.
10:15:30 AM
REPRESENTATIVE STUTES suggested that the individual would be
able to decipher which database to use depending on which
sticker is on the vessel.
10:15:57 AM
GLENN HAIGHT, Commissioner, Commercial Fisheries Entry
Commission, reported that the commission's database was online
and [anyone] can access license information by entering the
number found on the decal. He stated that the database is not
on an app, but the commission has submitted a request for
funding to make this happen. He added that troopers are usually
able to access the information before they go onto the water.
REPRESENTATIVE MCCABE hypothesized that because troopers can
radio into the base, the number of times a year a time delay in
information would occur is probably insignificant.
10:16:56 AM
CHAIR VANCE asked for clarification of the difference between
the DMV and CFEC stickers.
REPRESENTATIVE STUTES said the CFEC stickers are required for a
commercial vessel actively taking place in a fishery, while a
DMV sticker is required for a commercial vessel not actively in
a fishery. She stated that the objective for having two kinds
of permits would be to keep track of commercial vessels, as this
would help in preventing owners from abandoning boats at
harbors. In turn this would help avoid fees associated with
abandonment and disposal.
10:18:34 AM
BRIAN HAWKINS, Port Director, City of Homer; Harbormaster,
Alaska Association of Harbormasters and Port Administrators
(AAHPA), testified that he and his organization support HB 19
and the elimination of duplicate permits. He reported that
because ports and harbors have access to permit information
through the state, a vessel that was registered through the CFEC
process meets the [AAHPA] needs for vessel ownership
information. He further stated that AAHPA has passed its own
resolution which supports the exemption set forth in HB 19.
REPRESENTATIVE CARPENTER inquired about the technical
possibility of connecting the two databases.
MR. HAIGHT replied that this may be possible, and the CFEC's
information technology staff would be more qualified to answer
this question. He acknowledged that the commission regularly
works with law enforcement and state troopers are familiar with
the CFEC's database.
10:21:19 AM
CHAIR VANCE opened public testimony on HB 19.
10:21:32 AM
JERRY MCCUNE, Lobbyist, Cordova District Fishermen United,
opined that [SB 92] is troublesome for fisherman. He said that
HB 19 fixes the dual registration issues, noting that DMV
permits apply to vessels under five tons. He mentioned that
duplicate registration could be violating federal law.
10:23:45 AM
CHAIR VANCE, after ascertaining that there was no one else who
wished to testify, closed public testimony on HB 19.
CHAIR VANCE expressed the intention to investigate the
possibility of a federal law violation in reference to duplicate
registration requirements. She stated this may be something
that the committee wished to highlight.
CHAIR VANCE [announced that HB 19 was held over.]
10:25:08 AM
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the committee, the House
Special Committee on Fisheries meeting was adjourned at 10:25
a.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| HB 19 - Sponsor Statement version A.pdf |
HFSH 2/2/2023 10:00:00 AM HFSH 3/28/2023 10:00:00 AM HFSH 3/30/2023 10:00:00 AM HFSH 4/11/2023 10:00:00 AM |
HB 19 |
| HB 19 - v.A.PDF |
HFSH 2/2/2023 10:00:00 AM HFSH 3/28/2023 10:00:00 AM HFSH 3/30/2023 10:00:00 AM HFSH 4/11/2023 10:00:00 AM |
HB 19 |
| HB 19 - Sectional Analysis Version A.pdf |
HFSH 2/2/2023 10:00:00 AM HFSH 3/28/2023 10:00:00 AM HFSH 3/30/2023 10:00:00 AM HFSH 4/11/2023 10:00:00 AM |
HB 19 |
| HB 19 - Research USCG Documentation and Tonnage Brochure 1.25.23.pdf |
HFSH 2/2/2023 10:00:00 AM HFSH 3/28/2023 10:00:00 AM HFSH 3/30/2023 10:00:00 AM HFSH 4/11/2023 10:00:00 AM |
HB 19 |
| HB 19 - Research DMV Registration FAQ - CFEC June, 2019 1.25.23.pdf |
HFSH 2/2/2023 10:00:00 AM HFSH 3/28/2023 10:00:00 AM HFSH 3/30/2023 10:00:00 AM HFSH 4/11/2023 10:00:00 AM |
HB 19 |
| HB 19 - Research CFEC Vessesl License, Number Plate, and Decal 1.26.23.pdf |
HFSH 2/2/2023 10:00:00 AM HFSH 3/28/2023 10:00:00 AM HFSH 3/30/2023 10:00:00 AM HFSH 4/11/2023 10:00:00 AM |
HB 19 |
| HB 19 - Research CFEC Vessel Licensing Forms 1.26.23.pdf |
HFSH 2/2/2023 10:00:00 AM HFSH 3/28/2023 10:00:00 AM HFSH 3/30/2023 10:00:00 AM HFSH 4/11/2023 10:00:00 AM |
HB 19 |
| HB 19 - Research CFEC Public Database 1.25.23.pdf |
HFSH 2/2/2023 10:00:00 AM HFSH 3/28/2023 10:00:00 AM HFSH 3/30/2023 10:00:00 AM HFSH 4/11/2023 10:00:00 AM |
HB 19 |
| HB 19 - DOA Fiscal Note.pdf |
HFSH 2/2/2023 10:00:00 AM HFSH 3/28/2023 10:00:00 AM HFSH 3/30/2023 10:00:00 AM HFSH 4/11/2023 10:00:00 AM |
HB 19 |
| HB 19 - DNR Fiscal Note.pdf |
HFSH 2/2/2023 10:00:00 AM HFSH 3/28/2023 10:00:00 AM HFSH 3/30/2023 10:00:00 AM HFSH 4/11/2023 10:00:00 AM |
HB 19 |
| HB 19 - ADF&G Fiscal Note.pdf |
HFSH 2/2/2023 10:00:00 AM HFSH 3/28/2023 10:00:00 AM HFSH 3/30/2023 10:00:00 AM HFSH 4/11/2023 10:00:00 AM |
HB 19 |
| HB 19 - UFA Letter of Support.pdf |
HFSH 3/30/2023 10:00:00 AM HFSH 4/11/2023 10:00:00 AM |
HB 19 |
| HB 19 - CDFU Letter of Support.pdf |
HFSH 3/30/2023 10:00:00 AM HFSH 4/11/2023 10:00:00 AM |
HB 19 |