00 HOUSE BILL NO. 356 01 "An Act relating to health and sanitary requirements and certain permits for 02 commercial fishing vessels; and providing for an effective date." 03 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 04  * Section 1. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section 05 to read: 06 SHORT TITLE. This Act may be known as the Alaska Coastal Micro-Fisheries Act. 07  * Sec. 2. AS 44.46.020 is amended by adding a new subsection to read:  08 (c) If the Department of Environmental Conservation finds that a commercial 09 vessel and the associated fishery processing operation operated by a commercial fisher 10 described under AS 44.46.027(a)(1) meet safety standards, including those established 11 under 21 C.F.R. Part 123, and that the fisher harvests only fishery species that present 12 a low risk of spreading pests or disease from the vessel, the regulations of the 13 Department of Conservation that relate to the production and processing of the fishery 14 resource must 01 (1) exempt the vessel and associated fishery processing operation from 02 additional health and sanitary requirements; and 03 (2) allow up to 5,000 pounds of harvested fishery resources to be 04 packaged and frozen aboard the vessel for each voyage. 05  * Sec. 3. AS 44.46.025 is amended by adding a new subsection to read: 06 (f) Notwithstanding (a) of this section, the Department of Environmental 07 Conservation may not charge a licensed commercial fisher who harvests fewer than 08 10,000 pounds of fishery resources annually from a vessel under 50 feet in overall 09 length, and who processes the fishery resource under a direct marketing fisheries 10 business license issued under AS 43.75.020(c), more than $100 in annual fees under 11 AS 17.20 and this chapter. 12  * Sec. 4. AS 44.46 is amended by adding a new section to read: 13 Sec. 44.46.027. Regulations for certain commercial fishers fishing from  14 small fishing vessels. (a) The Department of Environmental Conservation shall, in 15 consultation with the Department of Fish and Game, work to simplify and streamline 16 regulations applicable to a licensed commercial fisher who processes fishery resources 17 harvested by the fisher under a direct marketing fisheries business license issued under 18 AS 43.75.020(c) and who harvests 19 (1) less than 10,000 pounds of fishery resources annually from a vessel 20 under 50 feet in overall length; or 21 (2) fishery resources from a vessel that does not exceed 65 feet in 22 overall length. 23 (b) The Department of Environmental Conservation shall approve or deny a 24 permit requested by a commercial fisher described in (a)(1) or (2) of this section 25 within 30 days after the fisher applies for the permit. 26 (c) In simplifying and streamlining regulations under this section, the 27 Department of Environmental Conservation shall prioritize simplifying and 28 streamlining regulations applicable to commercial fishers described in (a)(1) of this 29 section who fish from rural coastal communities. The Department of Environmental 30 Conservation shall ensure the regulations address the specific economic challenges 31 posed by fishing from rural coastal communities, including high costs and difficulties 01 in accessing product markets. 02  * Sec. 5. This Act takes effect July 1, 2026.