02/11/2025 10:00 AM House FISHERIES

                    ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE                                                                                  
              HOUSE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON FISHERIES                                                                            
                       February 11, 2025                                                                                        
                           10:00 a.m.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS PRESENT                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Representative Louise Stutes, Chair                                                                                             
Representative Bryce Edgmon, Vice Chair                                                                                         
Representative Rebecca Himschoot                                                                                                
Representative Chuck Kopp                                                                                                       
Representative Kevin McCabe                                                                                                     
Representative Sarah Vance                                                                                                      
Representative Bill Elam                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS ABSENT                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
All members present                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
COMMITTEE CALENDAR                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
HOUSE BILL NO. 60                                                                                                               
"An Act  relating to municipal and  state procurement preferences                                                               
for agricultural  products harvested  in the state  and fisheries                                                               
products harvested or  processed in the state;  and providing for                                                               
an effective date."                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
     - MOVED HB 60 OUT OF COMMITTEE                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
HOUSE BILL NO. 31                                                                                                               
"An Act relating to the registration of commercial vessels; and                                                                 
relating to the derelict vessel prevention program fund."                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
     - MOVED HB 31 OUT OF COMMITTEE                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
BILL: HB  60                                                                                                                  
SHORT TITLE: PROCURE PREF: AGRIC. & FISH PRODUCTS                                                                               
SPONSOR(s): RULES BY REQUEST OF THE GOVERNOR                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
01/22/25       (H)       READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS                                                                        

01/22/25       (H)       FSH, L&C                                                                                               
02/06/25       (H)       FSH AT 11:00 AM GRUENBERG 120                                                                          
02/06/25       (H)       Heard & Held                                                                                           
02/06/25       (H)       MINUTE(FSH)                                                                                            
02/11/25       (H)       FSH AT 10:00 AM GRUENBERG 120                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
BILL: HB  31                                                                                                                  
SHORT TITLE: VESSELS: REGISTRATION/DERELICT FUND                                                                                
SPONSOR(s): STUTES                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                

01/22/25       (H)       PREFILE RELEASED 1/10/25                                                                               

01/22/25       (H)       READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS                                                                        

01/22/25       (H)       FSH, FIN                                                                                               
02/06/25       (H)       FSH AT 11:00 AM GRUENBERG 120                                                                          
02/06/25       (H)       Heard & Held                                                                                           
02/06/25       (H)       MINUTE(FSH)                                                                                            
02/11/25       (H)       FSH AT 10:00 AM GRUENBERG 120                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
WITNESS REGISTER                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
ANNA LATHAM, Deputy Commissioner                                                                                                
Department of Commerce, Community & Economic Development                                                                        
Juneau, Alaska                                                                                                                  
POSITION STATEMENT:  Provided a recap of HB 60 and its details.                                                               
                                                                                                                                
MATT GRUENING, Staff                                                                                                            
Representative Louise Stutes                                                                                                    
Alaska State Legislature                                                                                                        
Juneau, Alaska                                                                                                                  
POSITION STATEMENT:  On behalf of Representative Stutes, prime                                                                
sponsor, gave a recap of HB 31.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
RACHAEL LORD, representing self                                                                                                 
Homer, Alaska                                                                                                                   
POSITION STATEMENT:  Testified in support of HB 31.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
ACTION NARRATIVE                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
10:00:25 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  LOUISE  STUTES  called  the  House  Special  Committee  on                                                             
Fisheries  meeting  to  order  at  10:00  a.m.    Representatives                                                               
McCabe, Vance, Kopp,  Himschoot, Edgmon were present  at the call                                                               
to  order.   Representative Elam  arrived as  the meeting  was in                                                               
progress.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
          HB  60-PROCURE PREF: AGRIC. & FISH PRODUCTS                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
10:01:58 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR STUTES announced that the  first order of business would be                                                               
HOUSE  BILL NO.  60,  "An  Act relating  to  municipal and  state                                                               
procurement  preferences for  agricultural products  harvested in                                                               
the state  and fisheries products  harvested or processed  in the                                                               
state; and providing for an effective date."                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
10:02:40 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
ANNA  LATHAM,   Deputy  Commissioner,  Department   of  Commerce,                                                               
Community & Economic  Development, provided a recap of  HB 60 and                                                               
its details.   She  explained that  HB 60  increases pre-existing                                                               
procurement statutes  for Alaska  grown agricultural  and fishery                                                               
products.   It would raise the  procurement mandatory requirement                                                               
for  school districts,  municipalities  and  state agencies  that                                                               
receive state funding from 7 to 10 percent.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
10:03:59 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE EDGMON  thanked the  department for  responding to                                                               
questions  that were  raised during  the  previous House  Special                                                               
Committee on Fisheries meeting.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
10:04:14 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  STUTES,  there being  no  further  questions or  comments,                                                               
requested a motion on HB 60.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
10:04:20 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  EDGMON moved  to report  HB 60  out of  committee                                                               
with  individual  recommendations  and  the  accompanying  fiscal                                                               
notes.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
10:04:32 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
The committee took an at-ease from 10:04 a.m. to 10:07 a.m.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
            HB 31-VESSELS: REGISTRATION/DERELICT FUND                                                                       
                                                                                                                              
10:07:44 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR STUTES announced that the  final order of business would be                                                               
HOUSE  BILL NO.  31,  "An  Act relating  to  the registration  of                                                               
commercial  vessels;   and  relating   to  the   derelict  vessel                                                               
prevention program fund."                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
10:08:15 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MATT GRUENING, Staff, Representative  Louise Stutes, Alaska State                                                               
Legislature, on  behalf of Representative Stutes,  prime sponsor,                                                               
gave a  recap of  HB 31.   He explained that  HB 31  would exempt                                                               
active commercial  fishing vessels from  duplicative registration                                                               
requirements created by the passage  of Senate Bill 92 during the                                                               
Thirtieth Alaska  State Legislature  in 2018.   He noted  that it                                                               
would specifically  remove the requirement  for U.S.  Coast Guard                                                               
(USCG)  vessels   with  a  current  Commercial   Fisheries  Entry                                                               
Commission  (CFEC) registration  to  register  every three  years                                                               
with the Division of Motor Vehicles  (DMV).  Prior to the passage                                                               
of Senate Bill 92, these  documented vessels were already exempt.                                                               
He remarked that because of  a bill that was repealed, overlooked                                                               
was   the  CFEC   database  which   already  provides   ownership                                                               
information.   The intent  of the bill  is not  having commercial                                                               
fisherman register  with the  DMV when  pre-existing registration                                                               
processes are already in place.   Also in its current form, HB 31                                                               
would repeal the  derelict vessel program fund and  moves it into                                                               
the general fund (GF) instead.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
10:09:40 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  KOPP remarked  that HB  31 was  good common-sense                                                               
legislation, and he was happy to see it brought forward.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
10:10:05 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR STUTES opened public testimony on HB 31.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
10:10:33 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
RACHAEL LORD, representing  self, testified in support  of HB 31.                                                               
She said  that she helped  facilitate the Abandoned  and Derelict                                                               
Vessel  Taskforce  that  worked  with stakeholders  to  pass  the                                                               
original bill  in which this  provision was included.   She fully                                                               
supported  the CFEC  exemption,  and it  has  support from  other                                                               
stakeholders.  She remarked that  the federal documented database                                                               
is still  a barrier to  track and hold vessel  owners responsible                                                               
and  that CFEC  is  a great  database.   She  said  that she  was                                                               
disappointed in  the repeal of  the derelict vessel  program fund                                                               
and   that  every   state  that   deals  with   derelict  vessels                                                               
understands  that  the  best  method  to  address  them  is  with                                                               
prevention measures.   She stated that she  understood that there                                                               
is  not much  money in  that fund  or opportunities  to recapture                                                               
costs.   She said that the  state continues to be  flat-footed to                                                               
address the prevention of derelict vessels.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
10:13:21 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  STUTES,  after ascertaining  there  was  no one  else  who                                                               
wished to testify, closed public testimony on HB 31.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR STUTES, there  being no comments of  concern from committee                                                               
members, entertained a motion on HB 31.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
10:13:40 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  EDGMON moved  to report  HB 31  out of  committee                                                               
with  individual  recommendations  and  the  accompanying  fiscal                                                               
notes.  There  being no objection, HB 31 was  reported out of the                                                               
House Special Committee on Fisheries.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
10:14:02 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
The committee took an at-ease from 10:14 a.m. to 10:16 a.m.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
10:16:30 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  STUTES called  the House  Special  Committee on  Fisheries                                                               
back  to order.   She  concluded  the meeting  by discussing  the                                                               
upcoming schedule and objectives for the committee.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
10:18:10 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
ADJOURNMENT                                                                                                                   
There being no  further business before the  committee, the House                                                               
Special  Committee on  Fisheries meeting  was adjourned  at 10:18                                                               
a.m.