SB 59-SALTWATER SPORTFISHING OPERATORS/GUIDES  5:00:03 PM CHAIR REVAK announced the consideration of SENATE BILL NO. 59 "An Act relating to salt water sport fishing operators and salt water sport fishing guides; and providing for an effective date." 5:00:17 PM At ease 5:00:51 PM CHAIR REVAK reconvened the meeting and asked for a motion to adopt the committee substitute (CS). He related that the CS makes no substantive changes; rather, it conforms the governor's bill to Legislative Legal Services drafting conventions. 5:01:09 PM SENATOR BISHOP moved to adopt the work draft CS for SB 59, work order 32-GS1608\B, as the working document. 5:01:26 PM CHAIR REVAK found no objection and version B was adopted. 5:01:43 PM DOUGLAS VINCENT-LANG, Commissioner, Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Anchorage, Alaska, reminded the members that this committee heard the bill last year but did not act on it because the legislature adjourned early due to COVID-19. He explained that the bill reinstates the salt water licensing and reporting requirements, but does not reinstate the fresh water licensing and reporting requirements. COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG explained that the legislature first adopted the sport fishing guide and operator licenses in 2003- 2004 and these remained in effect until the sunset on December 31, 2014. Both fresh and salt water guides initially urged passage of the legislation as a means of professionalizing the industry. Just the salt water licensing and reporting requirements were reinstated during the 2015-2016 legislative session with a sunset of 2018. He said the bridge funding the legislature provided after the 2018 sunset is gone and there is no legislation in place to collect the fees to pay for the marine log book program. Nevertheless, the department has continued the log book program under the registration program that was adopted through the Alaska Board of Fisheries. 5:04:21 PM COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG stated the log book data is critical to fulfill Pacific Salmon Treaty obligations and to inform decisions by the International Halibut Commission, the North Pacific Fishery Management Council, and the Board of Fisheries. The fees that are collected will be used to manage charter fisheries in Alaska that contribute more than $1.5 million to the state's economy. He concluded that the department sees SB 59 as a necessary tool to fund and manage salt water fisheries. 5:05:40 PM SENATOR KAWASAKI asked how the log book program was funded initially. COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG explained that the program initially was funded through the legislation that licensed fresh water and salt water guides. When the program was reintroduced for just salt water, the guide and operator licensing fees paid for the log book program. When that was sunset in 2018, the legislature provided some bridge funding for the program. That funding ran out and the department is now using department funds to continue the log book program. 5:06:30 PM SENATOR KIEHL asked if there was any possibility that this applies to bare boat charters. COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG answered not at this time. CHAIR REVAK asked Ms. Hanke to walk through the sectional analysis. 5:06:56 PM RACHEL HANKE, Legislative Liaison, Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Anchorage, Alaska, presented the sectional analysis for SB 59 [Original punctuation provided]: Section 1: Establishes license fees for saltwater guides and operators. • Guide license-$200 • Operator license-$400 • Operator and guide combined license-$400 Section 2:  AS 16.40.262-provides stipulations for the salt water operator license and defines the license type. Section 3: AS 16.40.272-provides stipulations for the salt water guides and combined license and defines both license types. Section 4: AS 16.40.282-establishes reporting requirements for salt water guides and operators. Section 5: AS 16.40.292-establishes penalties for violations the chapter. Section 6: AS 16.40.301-defines "saltwater sport fishing guide" and "salt water sport fishing guide services." Section 7:  Adds salt water sportfishing operator and guide license to AS 25.27.244(s)(2) which defines "license." Section 8: Effective date of January 1, 2022 5:08:54 PM CHAIR REVAK announced he would hold SB 59 in committee for further consideration.