Legislature(2025 - 2026)GRUENBERG 120
05/18/2025 01:00 PM House FISHERIES
Note: the audio ![]()
and video ![]()
recordings are distinct records and are obtained from different sources. As such there may be key differences between the two. The audio recordings are captured by our records offices as the official record of the meeting and will have more accurate timestamps. Use the icons to switch between them.
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| SB156 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | SB 156 | TELECONFERENCED | |
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
HOUSE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON FISHERIES
May 18, 2025
2:18 p.m.
DRAFT
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Louise Stutes, Chair
Representative Bryce Edgmon, Vice Chair
Representative Rebecca Himschoot
Representative Chuck Kopp
Representative Kevin McCabe
Representative Bill Elam
MEMBERS ABSENT
Representative Sarah Vance
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
CS FOR SENATE BILL NO. 156(FIN)
"An Act relating to the Department of Commerce, Community, and
Economic Development; relating to the Alaska Commercial Fishing
and Agriculture Bank; relating to certain loans made by the
Alaska Commercial Fishing and Agriculture Bank; relating to
certain commercial fishing loans; providing for an effective
date by amending the effective date of sec. 4, ch. 25, SLA 2024;
and providing for an effective date."
- MOVED HCS CSSB 156(FSH) OUT OF COMMITTEE
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
BILL: SB 156
SHORT TITLE: AK COMMERCIAL FISHING & AG BANK; LOANS
SPONSOR(s): RULES BY REQUEST OF TASK FORCE EVAL ALASKA SEAFOOD
INDUSTRY
04/02/25 (S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
04/02/25 (S) L&C, FIN
04/14/25 (S) L&C AT 1:30 PM BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)
04/14/25 (S) Heard & Held
04/14/25 (S) MINUTE(L&C)
04/28/25 (S) L&C AT 1:30 PM BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)
04/28/25 (S) Moved CSSB 156(L&C) Out of Committee
04/28/25 (S) MINUTE(L&C)
04/30/25 (S) L&C RPT CS 3DP SAME TITLE
04/30/25 (S) DP: BJORKMAN, DUNBAR, GRAY-JACKSON
05/05/25 (S) HOFFMAN WAIVED PUBLIC HEARING
NOTICE,RULE 23
05/06/25 (S) FIN AT 9:00 AM SENATE FINANCE 532
05/06/25 (S) Heard & Held
05/06/25 (S) MINUTE(FIN)
05/14/25 (H) FIN AT 9:00 AM ADAMS 519
05/14/25 (H) <Pending Referral>
05/15/25 (H) FIN AT 10:00 AM ADAMS 519
05/15/25 (H) <Pending Referral>
05/15/25 (S) FIN AT 1:30 PM SENATE FINANCE 532
05/15/25 (S) Moved CSSB 156(FIN) Out of Committee
05/15/25 (S) MINUTE(FIN)
05/16/25 (S) FIN RPT CS 3DP 4NR NEW TITLE
05/16/25 (S) DP: STEDMAN, HOFFMAN, KIEHL
05/16/25 (S) NR: OLSON, KAUFMAN, CRONK, MERRICK
05/17/25 (S) TRANSMITTED TO (H)
05/17/25 (S) VERSION: CSSB 156(FIN)
05/17/25 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
05/17/25 (H) FSH
05/18/25 (H) FSH AT 1:00 PM GRUENBERG 120
WITNESS REGISTER
SENATOR JESSE KIEHL
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: On behalf of the bill sponsor, Senate Rules
by request of Joint Legislative Taskforce Evaluating Alaska
Seafood Industry, presented CSSB 156(FIN).
KYLE NEUMANN, Staff
Representative Louise Stutes
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: On behalf of the House Special Committee on
Fisheries, explained the changes associated with the proposed
HCS to CSSB 156(FIN).
ACTION NARRATIVE
2:18:42 PM
CHAIR LOUISE STUTES called the House Special Committee on
Fisheries meeting to order at 2:18 p.m. Representatives Edgmon,
Himschoot, Kopp, McCabe, Elam, and Stutes were present at the
call to order.
SB 156-AK COMMERCIAL FISHING & AG BANK; LOANS
2:19:36 PM
CHAIR STUTES announced that the only order of business would be
CS FOR SENATE BILL NO. 156(FIN), "An Act relating to the
Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development;
relating to the Alaska Commercial Fishing and Agriculture Bank;
relating to certain loans made by the Alaska Commercial Fishing
and Agriculture Bank; relating to certain commercial fishing
loans; providing for an effective date by amending the effective
date of sec. 4, ch. 25, SLA 2024; and providing for an effective
date."
CHAIR STUTES noted that there was a House Committee Substitute
(HCS) for CSSB 156(FIN).
2:20:24 PM
SENATOR JESSE KIEHL, Alaska State Legislature, on behalf of the
bill sponsor, Senate Rules by request of the Joint Legislative
Taskforce Evaluating Alaska Seafood Industry, presented CSSB
156(FIN). He said that the committee has heard the essentials
of the bill. It builds on a recommendation from Governor Mike
Dunleavy last year to address the financial crisis in the
fishing industry by lowering the interest rates with the
commercial fishing revolving loan fund. He said that CSSB
156(FIN) would allow the Alaska Commercial Fishing and
Agriculture Bank (CFAB) to match the loan rates with the
commercial fishing revolving loan fund. He said that the
mechanism is a one-time infusion of capital that would be
returned to the State of Alaska and can be used only for
commercial fishing loans to Alaska residents.
SENATOR KIEHL said that the Senate version of the bill would
make two changes from what the House considered [in HB 199].
One change is to limit CFAB's use of this capital to loans that
are collateralized in whole or in-part by a limited-entry
permit. He said that these are loans that can only be made by
the states Commercial Fishing Revolving Loan Fund or CFAB. The
second change would shorten the time period on these low-
interest rates by a year; instead of an availability to July 1,
2027, they would be available until July 1, 2026.
2:22:40 PM
CHAIR STUTES asked for a motion to adopt the House Committee
Substitute.
2:22:53 PM
REPRESENTATIVE EDGMON moved to adopt the proposed House
Committee Substitute (HCS) to CSSB 156(FIN), Version 34-
LS0857\Q, Bullard, 5/17/25, as a working document. There being
no objection, Version Q was before the committee.
CHAIR STUTES asked her staff to present the changes associated
with Version Q.
2:23:38 PM
KYLE NEUMANN, Staff, Representative Louise Stutes, Alaska State
Legislature, on behalf of the House Special Committee on
Fisheries, explained the changes associated with the HCS to CSSB
156(FIN), Version Q. He related that the proposed legislation
is a companion bill to HB 199, which had recently been passed
from the committee. He said that HB 199 was sponsored by the
House Special Committee on Fisheries by request of the Joint
Legislative Taskforce Evaluating Alaska Seafood Industry. He
said that Version Q would keep language that was added CSSB
156(FIN), which would restrain the eligibility of loans that
could made or refinanced by CFAB to only those which are
secured, at least in-part, by a limited-entry permit. He said
Version Q would remove the section proposed under CSSB 156(FIN)
that would shorten the amount of time that the state's
commercial fishing revolving loan fund could offer loans at a
reduced interest rate.
MR. NEUMANN noted that in 2024, the legislature had passed House
Bill 273 based on the recommendation by the Joint Legislative
Taskforce Evaluating Alaska Seafood Industry. This temporarily
reduced interest rates of the fund to 5.25 percent until 2027.
He said although House Bill 273 has been largely successful at
providing tangible relief to the commercial fishing industry,
cutting down the length of time the relief is offered to the
fishing industry is counter to the goals and recommendations of
the taskforce and counterproductive to the industry. In
summary, the Version Q would largely return CSSB 156(FIN) to the
language and intent of the aforementioned HB 199. One exception
is the provision that would limit loans used by CFAB to those
that are collateralized by a limited-entry permit.
2:26:29 PM
CHAIR STUTES entertained a motion.
2:26:51 PM
REPRESENTATIVE EDGMON moved to report HCS to CSSB 156(FIN),
Version 34-LS0857\Q, Bullard, 5/17/25 out of committee with
individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal notes.
There being no objection, HCS CSSB 156(FSH) was reported out of
the House Special Committee on Fisheries.
2:27:34 PM
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the committee, the House
Special Committee on Fisheries meeting was adjourned at 2:27
p.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| SB156 Sponsor Statement version S (1).pdf |
HFSH 5/18/2025 1:00:00 PM |
SB 156 |
| SB156 version S (3).pdf |
HFSH 5/18/2025 1:00:00 PM |
SB 156 |
| SB156 Explanation of Changes Since Introduction (4).pdf |
HFSH 5/18/2025 1:00:00 PM |
SB 156 |
| SB 156 House Fisheries CS work draft Q (2).pdf |
HFSH 5/18/2025 1:00:00 PM |
SB 156 |
| SB 156 HF CS Q Explaination of Changes .pdf |
HFSH 5/18/2025 1:00:00 PM |
SB 156 |
| SB156 Fiscal Note-DCCED-DBS 04.11.25 (6).pdf |
HFSH 5/18/2025 1:00:00 PM |
SB 156 |
| SB156 Fiscal Note with DCCED.pdf |
HFSH 5/18/2025 1:00:00 PM |
SB 156 |
| SB156 Supporting Document--AKBA Letter of Opposition (7).pdf |
HFSH 5/18/2025 1:00:00 PM |
SB 156 |
| SB156 Public Testimony-Email-Harry Moore 04.14.25 (8).pdf |
HFSH 5/18/2025 1:00:00 PM |
SB 156 |
| SB156 Supporting Documents-Southwest Alaska Municipal Conference Resolution 4.28.25 (9).pdf |
HFSH 5/18/2025 1:00:00 PM |
SB 156 |