Legislature(2021 - 2022)BARNES 124

05/12/2021 01:00 PM House RESOURCES

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Audio Topic
02:45:54 PM Start
02:46:43 PM SB125
03:16:36 PM Adjourn
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
-- Delayed to 5 Minutes Following Session --
+ SB 125 HUNTING PERMITS: TRANSFERABILITY TELECONFERENCED
Moved CSSB 125(RES) Out of Committee
-- Invited & Public Testimony --
+= HB 120 STATE LAND SALES AND LEASES; RIVERS TELECONFERENCED
Scheduled but Not Heard
-- Invited & Public Testimony --
+ Bills Previously Heard/Scheduled TELECONFERENCED
                    ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE                                                                                  
               HOUSE RESOURCES STANDING COMMITTEE                                                                             
                          May 12, 2021                                                                                          
                           2:45 p.m.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS PRESENT                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Representative Josiah Patkotak, Chair                                                                                           
Representative Grier Hopkins, Vice Chair                                                                                        
Representative Zack Fields                                                                                                      
Representative Calvin Schrage                                                                                                   
Representative Sara Hannan                                                                                                      
Representative Mike Cronk                                                                                                       
Representative Ronald Gillham                                                                                                   
Representative Tom McKay                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS ABSENT                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Representative George Rauscher                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
COMMITTEE CALENDAR                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
CS FOR SENATE BILL NO. 125(RES)                                                                                                 
"An Act relating to the transferability of hunts awarded by                                                                     
drawing; and providing for an effective date."                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
     - MOVED CSSB 125(RES) OUT OF COMMITTEE                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
BILL: SB 125                                                                                                                  
SHORT TITLE: HUNTING PERMITS: TRANSFERABILITY                                                                                   
SPONSOR(s): SENATOR(s) VON IMHOF                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
04/16/21       (S)       READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS                                                                        
04/16/21       (S)       RES                                                                                                    
04/26/21       (S)       RES AT 3:30 PM BUTROVICH 205                                                                           
04/26/21       (S)       Moved CSSB 125(RES) Out of Committee                                                                   
04/26/21       (S)       MINUTE(RES)                                                                                            
04/28/21       (S)       RES RPT CS  5DP SAME TITLE                                                                             
04/28/21       (S)       DP: REVAK, KIEHL, VON IMHOF, BISHOP,                                                                   
                         KAWASAKI                                                                                               
04/30/21       (S)       TRANSMITTED TO (H)                                                                                     
04/30/21       (S)       VERSION: CSSB 125(RES)                                                                                 
04/30/21       (H)       READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS                                                                        
04/30/21       (H)       RES                                                                                                    
05/07/21       (H)       RES AT 1:00 PM BARNES 124                                                                              
05/07/21       (H)       -- MEETING CANCELED --                                                                                 
05/12/21       (H)       RES AT 1:00 PM BARNES 124                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
WITNESS REGISTER                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
INTIMAYO HARBISON, Staff                                                                                                        
Senator Natasha von Imhof                                                                                                       
Alaska State Legislature                                                                                                        
Juneau, Alaska                                                                                                                  
POSITION STATEMENT:  Presented SB 125 on behalf of Senator von                                                                
Imhof, prime sponsor.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
NATALIE WEBER, Regulations Program Coordinator                                                                                  
Division of Wildlife Conservation                                                                                               
Alaska Department of Fish & Game                                                                                                
Anchorage, Alaska                                                                                                               
POSITION STATEMENT:  Provided information and answered questions                                                              
during the hearing on SB 125.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHERYL BROOKING, Senior Assistant Attorney General                                                                              
Natural Resources Section                                                                                                       
Civil Division (Anchorage)                                                                                                      
Department of Law                                                                                                               
Anchorage, Alaska                                                                                                               
POSITION STATEMENT:  Provided information and answered questions                                                              
during the hearing on SB 125.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
KELLY TRENT                                                                                                                     
Anchorage, Alaska                                                                                                               
POSITION STATEMENT:  Testified in support of SB 125.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
JEFF TRENT                                                                                                                      
Anchorage, Alaska                                                                                                               
POSITION STATEMENT:  Testified in support of SB 125.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
RYAN MCGILLVRY                                                                                                                  
Anchorage, Alaska                                                                                                               
POSITION STATEMENT:  Testified in support of SB 125.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
TERESA CAMPOAMOR                                                                                                                
Anchorage, Alaska                                                                                                               
POSITION STATEMENT:  Testified in support of SB 125.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
DANIELLE CAMPOAMOR                                                                                                              
New York, New York                                                                                                              
POSITION STATEMENT:  Testified in support of SB 125.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
WHEY BOWERSON                                                                                                                   
Anchorage, Alaska                                                                                                               
POSITION STATEMENT:  Testified in support of SB 125.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
AARON TRENT                                                                                                                     
Anchorage, Alaska                                                                                                               
POSITION STATEMENT:  Testified in support of SB 125.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
ACTION NARRATIVE                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
2:45:54 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  JOSIAH  PATKOTAK  called   the  House  Resources  Standing                                                             
Committee meeting to  order at 2:45 p.m.   Representatives McKay,                                                               
Fields, Cronk,  Hopkins, Schrage,  Gillham, Hannan,  and Patkotak                                                               
were present at the call to order.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
            SB 125-HUNTING PERMITS: TRANSFERABILITY                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
2:46:43 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR PATKOTAK  announced that the  only order of  business would                                                               
be  CS FOR  SENATE BILL  NO. 125(RES),  "An Act  relating to  the                                                               
transferability of  hunts awarded  by drawing; and  providing for                                                               
an effective date."                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
2:47:29 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
INTIMAYO  HARBISON,  Staff,  Senator Natasha  von  Imhof,  Alaska                                                               
State Legislature,  presented CSSB 125(RES) on  behalf of Senator                                                               
von  Imhof, prime  sponsor.   He  read the  sponsor statement  as                                                               
follows [original punctuation provided]:                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
     Senate Bill  125 would allow  a hunting  permit awarded                                                                    
     by  drawing  to  be transferred  to  another  qualified                                                                    
     hunter  should the  original permit  holder die  before                                                                    
     completing the hunt.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
     It is  the intent  of this  bill to put  an end  to the                                                                    
     trauma faced  by many families when,  after having lost                                                                    
     a family  member, they  are further  denied subsistence                                                                    
     rights which their deceased  family member applied for,                                                                    
     paid for, and were awarded.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     This bill pertains exclusively to  the transfer of draw                                                                    
     hunting  permits   and  would  not  impact   any  other                                                                    
     license, tag, or sport fishing vessel registration.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
MR. HARBISON presented the sectional analysis, which read as                                                                    
follows [original punctuation provided]:                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
     Section   1:   Amends   Alaska  Statute   adding   Sec.                                                                
     16.05.404,  allowing   for  the  transfer   of  permits                                                                    
     awarded by  drawing, to a qualified  substitute, should                                                                    
     the original  permit holder  die before  completing the                                                                    
     hunt for which the permit was issued.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
          Paragraph 1: Provides  that a qualified substitute                                                                  
          must   apply  for   the  hunting   permit  to   be                                                                    
          transferred or reissued.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
          Paragraph 2: Provides  that a qualified substitute                                                                  
       must provide acceptable proof of a persons death.                                                                        
          (b) Be a resident of Alaska.                                                                                          
          (c) Apply  for transfer or reissue  before the end                                                                    
          of  the period  for  which the  hunting permit  is                                                                    
          valid.                                                                                                                
          (d)  Can only  be issued  for the  hunt which  the                                                                    
          permit was originally awarded.                                                                                        
          (e) Defines "Immediate family member".                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     Section  2:  Amends  Alaska Statute  16.05.420(c)  with                                                                  
     conforming  language  to  allow  for  the  transfer  of                                                                    
     hunting  permits "originally  awarded by  drawing?under                                                                    
     AS 16.05.255(a)  that has been transferred  or reissued                                                                    
     under  AS 16.05.404".  Provides  that  a transfer  only                                                                    
     pertains  to  hunting  licenses and  does  not  include                                                                    
     license,  tag,  or  sport fishing  vessel  registration                                                                    
     issued to another person.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
     Section  3: Provides  for an  immediate effective  date                                                                  
     under AS 01.10.070(c).                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
2:50:14 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE MCKAY  expressed the belief  that it's rare  for a                                                               
resident  to  pass away  after  being  awarded a  hunting  permit                                                               
[through a drawing  and before using the permit].   He stated his                                                               
support for the proposed legislation.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
2:51:34 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  FIELDS  stated  his   support  for  the  proposed                                                               
legislation.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
2:51:47 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  SCHRAGE asked  whether there  would be  a process                                                               
for  determining which  family member  would receive  the hunting                                                               
license.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
MR. HARBISON replied  that the intent would be to  allow ADF&G to                                                               
create those regulations.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SCHRAGE clarified his question.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
2:53:26 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
NATALIE  WEBER,  Regulations  Program  Coordinator,  Division  of                                                               
Wildlife Conservation, Alaska Department  of Fish & Game (ADF&G),                                                               
noted the validity of the concern and deferred to Ms. Brooking.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
2:54:07 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHERYL  BROOKING,  Senior  Assistant  Attorney  General,  Natural                                                               
Resources Section, Civil Division  (Anchorage), Department of Law                                                               
(DOL), explained that  ADF&G has the leeway  to adopt regulations                                                               
regarding  which  immediate  family   member  would  receive  the                                                               
hunting  permit; she  noted that  having clear  regulations would                                                               
prevent  ADF&G from  possibly  being  caught between  conflicting                                                               
family members.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
2:54:42 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE HANNAN  referred to the term  "subsistence rights"                                                               
in the sponsor statement and said  that while one person may have                                                               
a subsistence  right, an  immediate family member  may not.   She                                                               
suggested  that  there may  be  a  conflict between  the  sponsor                                                               
statement and the language in the proposed legislation.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
MR. HARBISON  responded that the  use of "subsistence  rights" in                                                               
the  sponsor  statement  is  accurate   but  noted  that  a  more                                                               
appropriate term may be "food security."                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  HANNAN asked  whether  SB 125  would affect  only                                                               
permits  related  to  subsistence hunting,  excluding  those  for                                                               
trophy hunting.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
MR. PATKOTAK  asked the sponsor's  office to clarify  whether the                                                               
intent  of the  proposed  legislation is  to  affect all  hunting                                                               
permits.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
MR. HARBISON replied,  "I believe that the intent of  the bill is                                                               
to capture  draw permits."   He suggested that ADF&G  clarify the                                                               
different types of draw permit  to be included under the proposed                                                               
legislation.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MS.  BROOKING  explained  that   the  language  in  the  proposed                                                               
legislation would  apply only to  drawing hunts; as there  are no                                                               
drawing  hunts for  subsistence,  those specific  hunts would  be                                                               
excluded.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE HANNAN asked for details on draw hunt groups.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MS.  WEBER clarified  that CSSB  125(RES), as  written, would  be                                                               
applicable to  all drawing permits.   She said the  language does                                                               
not address permits for subsistence hunts.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
2:59:52 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE CRONK said, "Even if  the family drew a brown bear                                                               
hunt,  they would  still be  planning that  hunt to  go with  the                                                               
father.   So  you could  say  it wasn't  about subsistence;  it's                                                               
about the quality of the hunt; it's about being together."                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
3:00:25 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR PATKOTAK opened public testimony on CSSB 125(RES).                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
3:00:57 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
KELLY  TRENT identified  herself as  Chase Bowerson's  mother and                                                               
expressed her support of SB 125.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
3:02:11 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
JEFF  TRENT  testified in  support  of  SB  125.   He  identified                                                               
himself as  Chase Bowerson's father  and said that Chase,  at the                                                               
time of  his death, had  not yet harvested  his first moose.   He                                                               
expressed that the family had  looked forward to continuing their                                                               
tradition  of hunting  moose, but  the announcement  of the  draw                                                               
hunt winners came after Chase's death.   He then learned that the                                                               
awarded permit  could not be  transferred to a family  member and                                                               
asked that the law be changed.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
3:05:01 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
RYAN MCGILLVRY  testified in  support of SB  125.   He identified                                                               
himself as  Chase Bowerson's  uncle and noted  that, even  with a                                                               
permit, the  odds of a  successful hunt are  low.  All  hunts, he                                                               
said,  are  memorable  experiences  regardless of  success.    He                                                               
expressed  his  belief  that  allowing   the  hunting  permit  to                                                               
transfer  to  a family  member  would  honor  the memory  of  the                                                               
deceased.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
3:06:09 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
TERESA CAMPOAMOR  testified in  support of SB  125.   She related                                                               
observing a moment of hope  in Chase Bowerson's family when, upon                                                               
receiving notice  of the  draw permit,  they believed  the permit                                                               
could be  transferred to a member  of the family.   She expressed                                                               
that SB 125  would create a "simple but very  important" law that                                                               
would help grieving families.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
3:08:00 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
DANIELLE  CAMPOAMOR  testified  in  support   of  SB  125.    She                                                               
identified herself as Chase Bowerson's  cousin and expressed that                                                               
allowing  hunting permit  transfers  in these  cases  would be  a                                                               
"healthy, honorable, Alaskan  way" to begin healing.   She agreed                                                               
with Representative McKay's assertion that  it is very rare for a                                                               
deceased person  to be  awarded a hunting  permit and  said, "The                                                               
rarity  of the  situation does  not diminish  the cruelty."   She                                                               
expressed gratitude to  Senator von Imhof and  said that honoring                                                               
the deceased is "the Alaskan way."                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
3:11:39 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
WHEY  BOWERSON testified  in  support of  SB  125 and  identified                                                               
himself  as  Chase's  brother.     He  expressed  agreement  with                                                               
previous  statements  and said  that  it  would be  honoring  his                                                               
brother's memory  to allow the  family to receive the  permit and                                                               
hunt with the intention of  providing meat for the family members                                                               
and elders.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
3:13:43 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
AARON TRENT stated  his support of SB 125 and  expressed that the                                                               
proposed  legislation would  have a  positive effect  on grieving                                                               
families.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
3:15:50 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR PATKOTAK, after confirming that no one else wished to                                                                     
testify, closed public testimony on CSSB 125(RES).                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
3:16:03 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  HOPKINS  moved to  report  CSSB  125(RES) out  of                                                               
committee  with individual  recommendations and  the accompanying                                                               
fiscal  notes.   There  being  no  objection, CSSB  125(RES)  was                                                               
reported out of House Resources Standing Committee.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
3:16:36 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
ADJOURNMENT                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
There being no further business before the committee, the House                                                                 
Resources Standing Committee meeting was adjourned at 3:17 p.m.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                

Document Name Date/Time Subjects
SB 125 Sectional Analysis 04.19.2021.pdf HRES 5/12/2021 1:00:00 PM
SRES 4/26/2021 3:30:00 PM
SB 125
SB 125 Sponsor Statement 04.19.2021.pdf HRES 5/12/2021 1:00:00 PM
SRES 4/26/2021 3:30:00 PM
SB 125
HB 120 Amendment Schrage B.3 5.12.2021.pdf HRES 5/12/2021 1:00:00 PM
HB 120
HB 120 Amendment Schrage B.4 5.12.2021.pdf HRES 5/12/2021 1:00:00 PM
HB 120
HB 120 Amendment Schrage B.6 5.12.2021.pdf HRES 5/12/2021 1:00:00 PM
HB 120
HB 120 Amendment B.5 5.12.2021.pdf HRES 5/12/2021 1:00:00 PM
HRES 5/13/2021 1:00:00 PM
HB 120
SB 125 Sectional Analysis Updated 5.12.2021.pdf HRES 5/12/2021 1:00:00 PM
SB 125
HB 120 DNR Clarification and Addendum Document 5.12.2021.pdf HRES 5/12/2021 1:00:00 PM
HRES 5/13/2021 1:00:00 PM
HB 120