ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE  CONFERENCE COMMITTEE ON HB137  May 10, 2016 8:35 a.m. MEMBERS PRESENT Representative David Talerico, Chair Representative Geran Tarr Senator Cathy Giessel, Chair Senator Bill Stoltze Senator Gary Stevens MEMBERS ABSENT  Representative Benjamin Nageak COMMITTEE CALENDAR  HOUSE BILL NO. 137 "An Act raising certain fees related to sport fishing, hunting, and trapping; raising the age of eligibility for a sport fishing, hunting, or trapping license exemption for state residents to 65 years of age; requiring state residents to purchase big game tags to take certain species; and providing for an effective date." PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION  BILL: HB 137 SHORT TITLE: HUNT/FISH/TRAP: FEES;LICENSES;EXEMPTIONS SPONSOR(s): REPRESENTATIVE(s) TALERICO 03/06/15 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS 03/06/15 (H) RES, FIN 03/20/15 (H) RES AT 1:00 PM BARNES 124 03/20/15 (H) Heard & Held 03/20/15 (H) MINUTE(RES) 03/25/15 (H) RES AT 6:00 PM BARNES 124 03/25/15 (H) Moved CSHB 137(RES) Out of Committee 03/25/15 (H) MINUTE(RES) 03/27/15 (H) RES RPT CS(RES) NT 2DP 3NR 2AM 03/27/15 (H) DP: OLSON, TALERICO 03/27/15 (H) NR: HERRON, JOSEPHSON, JOHNSON 03/27/15 (H) AM: SEATON, TARR 04/07/15 (H) FIN AT 1:30 PM HOUSE FINANCE 519 04/07/15 (H) Heard & Held 04/07/15 (H) MINUTE(FIN) 04/10/15 (H) FIN AT 1:30 PM HOUSE FINANCE 519 04/10/15 (H) Heard & Held 04/10/15 (H) MINUTE(FIN) 04/13/15 (H) FIN RPT CS(FIN) NT 5DP 5NR 04/13/15 (H) DP: PRUITT, WILSON, GATTIS, MUNOZ, THOMPSON 04/13/15 (H) NR: SADDLER, GARA, GUTTENBERG, EDGMON, NEUMAN 04/13/15 (H) FIN AT 9:00 AM HOUSE FINANCE 519 04/13/15 (H) Moved CSHB 137(FIN) Out of Committee 04/13/15 (H) MINUTE(FIN) 04/15/15 (H) TRANSMITTED TO (S) 04/15/15 (H) VERSION: CSHB 137(FIN) AM 04/15/15 (S) RES AT 3:30 PM BUTROVICH 205 04/15/15 (S) Scheduled but Not Heard 04/16/15 (S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS 04/16/15 (S) RES, FIN 04/16/15 (S) RES AT 3:30 PM BUTROVICH 205 04/16/15 (S) Heard & Held 04/16/15 (S) MINUTE(RES) 04/17/15 (S) FIN AT 9:00 AM SENATE FINANCE 532 04/17/15 (S) Scheduled but Not Heard 02/29/16 (S) RES AT 3:30 PM BUTROVICH 205 02/29/16 (S) Heard & Held 02/29/16 (S) MINUTE(RES) 03/23/16 (S) RES AT 3:30 PM BUTROVICH 205 03/23/16 (S) Heard & Held 03/23/16 (S) MINUTE(RES) 03/28/16 (S) RES AT 3:30 PM BUTROVICH 205 03/28/16 (S) Moved SCS CSHB 137(RES) Out of Committee 03/28/16 (S) MINUTE(RES) 03/30/16 (S) RES RPT SCS 2DP 2NR 3AM NEW TITLE 03/30/16 (S) DP: GIESSEL, COGHILL 03/30/16 (S) NR: COSTELLO, STEDMAN 03/30/16 (S) AM: WIELECHOWSKI, MICCICHE, STOLTZE 04/12/16 (S) FIN AT 9:00 AM SENATE FINANCE 532 04/12/16 (S) Heard & Held 04/12/16 (S) MINUTE(FIN) 04/13/16 (S) FIN AT 9:00 AM SENATE FINANCE 532 04/13/16 (S) Heard & Held 04/13/16 (S) MINUTE(FIN) 04/15/16 (S) FIN AT 8:00 AM SENATE FINANCE 532 04/15/16 (S) Heard & Held 04/15/16 (S) MINUTE(FIN) 04/15/16 (S) FIN AT 5:00 PM SENATE FINANCE 532 04/15/16 (S) Moved SCS CSHB 137(FIN) AM Out of Committee 04/15/16 (S) MINUTE(FIN) 04/16/16 (S) FIN RPT SCS 5DP 2NR NEW TITLE 04/16/16 (S) DP: MACKINNON, MICCICHE, BISHOP, DUNLEAVY, HOFFMAN 04/16/16 (S) NR: KELLY, OLSON 04/17/16 (S) VERSION: SCS CSHB 137(FIN) AM S 04/20/16 (H) CONFERENCE COMMITTEE APPOINTED 04/20/16 (H) TALERICO (CHAIR), NAGEAK, TARR 04/22/16 (S) RECEDE MESSAGE READ AND HELD 05/04/16 (S) RECEDE MESSAGE TAKEN UP 05/04/16 (S) CONFERENCE COMMITTEE APPOINTED 05/04/16 (S) GIESSEL (CHAIR), STOLTZE, STEVENS 05/05/16 (H) LIMITED POWERS FREE CONFERENCE GRANTED 05/05/16 (H) HB137 AT 8:30 AM BILL RAY CENTER 208 05/05/16 (H) Heard & Held 05/05/16 (H) MINUTE(HB137) 05/06/16 (S) LIMITED POWERS FREE CONFERENCE GRANTED 05/09/16 (H) HB137 AT 0:00 AM BILL RAY CENTER 208 05/09/16 (H) -- MEETING CANCELED -- 05/09/16 (S) HB137 AT 10:15 AM BILL RAY CENTER 208 05/09/16 (S) -- MEETING CANCELED -- 05/10/16 (H) HB137 AT 8:30 AM BILL RAY CENTER 208 WITNESS REGISTER No witnesses to record ACTION NARRATIVE 8:35:52 AM CHAIR DAVID TALERICO called the Conference Committee on HB 137 meeting to order at 8:35 a.m. Representatives Tarr and Talerico and Senators Stevens, Stoltze, and Giessel were present at the call to order. HB 137-HUNT/FISH/TRAP: FEES;LICENSES;EXEMPTIONS  8:36:21 AM CHAIR TALERICO announced that the only order of business before the committee would be CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 137(FIN) am, "An Act raising certain fees related to sport fishing, hunting, and trapping; relating to the fish and game fund; providing for the repeal of the sport fishing surcharge and sport fishing facility revenue bonds; replacing the permanent sport fishing, hunting, or trapping identification card for certain residents with an identification card valid for three years; relating to hunting and fishing by proxy; relating to fish and game conservation decals; raising the age of eligibility for a sport fishing, hunting, or trapping license exemption for state residents; raising the age at which a state resident is required to obtain a license for sport fishing, hunting, or trapping; and providing for an effective date." and SENATE CS FOR CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 137(FIN) am S, "An Act establishing an intensive management surcharge; providing for the repeal of the intensive management surcharge; establishing certain special hunting and fishing licenses and permits for residents with developmental disabilities; establishing a separate sustainable wildlife account in the fish and game fund; raising certain fees related to sport fishing, hunting, and trapping; relating to the fish and game fund; providing for the repeal of the sport fishing surcharge and sport fishing facility revenue bonds; relating to the regulation of nonresident hunters; relating to hunting and fishing by proxy; relating to fish and game conservation decals; raising the age at which a state resident is required to obtain a license for sport fishing, hunting, or trapping; relating to the Chitina dip net fishery; and providing for an effective date." CHAIR TALERICO reviewed that after its 5/5/16 hearing on HB 137, the Conference Committee on HB 137 had requested limited powers of free conference, which were granted on 5/5/16 in the House and 5/6/16 in the Senate. He said his office had prepared a conference committee substitute in response to prior discussions. 8:36:52 AM CHAIR GIESSEL moved to adopt the proposed conference committee substitute (CCS) for HB 137, Version 29LS0625\Q, Kirsch/Bullard, 5/5/16, as a working document. There being no objection, Version Q was before the committee. 8:37:09 AM CHAIR TALERICO stated that Version Q was the Senate's version, but with two changes made to it: first, Section 29 was deleted, and second, Section 1 was added to require an annual report regarding the allocation of big game hunting opportunities for both residents and nonresidents. He said he worked with the sponsor of the original amendment on the new language. He said a title change was required and, to that end, SCR 22 was authorized and passed by both bodies on April 17, 2016. Chair Talerico pointed to a new fiscal note, which shows that under Version Q, no changes would be made to the fiscal note. 8:38:39 AM REPRESENTATIVE TARR indicated she had received some e-mails from people who did not like an added surcharge under Version Q, but she offered her understanding that the committee would not address that issue. She added that she had heard no other concerns about Version Q. 8:39:26 AM SENATOR STEVENS expressed gratitude to Chair Talerico, Chair Giessel, and Senator McGuire, for their work on Version Q, which would address unintended consequences, thus saving an industry that is crucial to his community and hires approximately 400 people. 8:39:55 AM SENATOR STOLTZE asked whether the Board of Game had provided any formal input on [Version Q]. He said the board is the power authorized by the legislature and is the people's voice, and he wanted to make sure "this isn't a department whitewash," but that the Board of Game is actually the operative group involved. CHAIR TALERICO responded that he had received no official documents from the Board of Game, but had been contacted by one board member, who told him the board does produce some information "we" will be receiving, and the board does this on an annual basis. He offered his understanding that the board provides that information to the department. He indicated that the board member had said the Board of Game did not think [Version Q] would increase its workload. 8:41:06 AM SENATOR STOLTZE stated, "I won't be here, but I'll be watching. I hope this is channeled through a process that's driven ... by the Board of Game and not by department staff." 8:41:26 AM CHAIR TALERICO expressed his appreciation of Chair Giessel and her staff in relation to their work on the proposed legislation. 8:42:01 AM CHAIR GIESSEL moved that the Conference Committee on HB 137 recommend that the House and Senate adopt CCSHB 137, Version 29LS0625\Q, Kirsch/Bullard, 5/5/16, with the Senate fiscal note, [which has the identifier CCSHB137-DFG-DAS-05-06-16]. 8:42:27 AM A roll call vote was taken. Representatives Tarr and Talerico voted in favor of the motion to recommend that the House and Senate adopt CCSHB 137, Version 29LS0625\Q, Kirsch/Bullard, 5/5/16. Senators Stevens, Stoltze, and Giessel voted in favor of the motion to recommend that the House and Senate adopt CCSHB 137, Version 29LS0625\Q, Kirsch/Bullard, 5/5/16. Therefore, the motion passed by a vote of 2:0 (House) and 3:0 (Senate). 8:43:09 AM ADJOURNMENT  There being no further business before the committee, the Conference Committee on HB 137 meeting was adjourned at 8:43 a.m.