02/06/2025 11:00 AM House FISHERIES

           HB  31-VESSELS: REGISTRATION/DERELICT FUND                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
11:22:06 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR STUTES announced that the final order of business would be                                                                
HOUSE  BILL  NO. 31,  "An  Act  relating  to the  registration  of                                                              
commercial   vessels;  and   relating  to   the  derelict   vessel                                                              
prevention program fund."                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
11:23:00 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MATT GRUENING, Staff,  Representative Louise Stutes,  on behalf of                                                              
Representative  Stutes,  prime  sponsor,  presented  HB 31  and  a                                                              
background on  vessel registration.   He began by  describing that                                                              
vessel documentation  is  a national form  of vessel  registration                                                              
through  the U.S.  Coast Guard  (USCG) and  is one  of the  oldest                                                              
functions of  the Federal Government.   He noted that there  is an                                                              
informative  brochure  in  the  committee  file and  on  the  Bill                                                              
Action and Status  Inquiry System (BASIS) that  helps explain what                                                              
USCG  documentation  is.   He  explained  that  the  documentation                                                              
pertains to boats  that have under five net tons  of displacement.                                                              
He clarified  that the  terms "documented"  and "undocumented"  in                                                              
his  presentation were  with reference  to boats  with or  without                                                              
USCG registration.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
11:24:00 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MR.  GRUENING   explained   that  HB  31   would  exempt   certain                                                              
commercial   fishing   vessels   from   duplicative   registration                                                              
requirements that  were created by  the passage of Senate  Bill 92                                                              
during the  Thirtieth Alaska State  Legislature.  This  bill would                                                              
specifically remove  the requirement  for USCG documented  vessels                                                              
with  a  current  Commercial  Fisheries  Entry  Commission  (CFEC)                                                              
license to register  every three years with the  Division of Motor                                                              
Vehicles (DMV).                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
MR. GRUENING  explained that prior  to the passage of  Senate Bill                                                              
92,  USCG documented  vessels were  exempt  from DMV  registration                                                              
and  that exemption  was  repealed under  Senate  Bill 92.   As  a                                                              
result, larger  vessels fell under  DMV's purview.   The rationale                                                              
behind  Senate  Bill  92  was  to  provide  the  state  and  local                                                              
municipalities with  a state-maintained database  regarding vessel                                                              
ownership and operation, and vessel contact details.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
MR.  GRUENING  noted  that  vessel  licensure  with  CFEC  already                                                              
requires  annual  renewal,  and it  provides  necessary  ownership                                                              
information  in a  state-maintained  database.   He remarked  that                                                              
vessels  already adhered  to the  original intent  of Senate  Bill                                                              
92.  He  noted that the sponsor's  intent is that  these operators                                                              
should  not be  required to  register with  DMV when  pre-existing                                                              
registrations  are already  in place.   He reiterated  that  HB 31                                                              
seeks to  remove the  duplicative registration  process for  these                                                              
vessels.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
MR.  GRUENING noted  that one  question  to consider  is who  must                                                              
register  with the  CFEC,  he stated  that  nearly all  commercial                                                              
fishing  vessels have  this  requirement.   He  remarked that  the                                                              
CFEC licensed  7,413  vessels in  2024, 4,356  of which were  USCG                                                              
documented vessels.   He concluded  by remarking that this  is not                                                              
a free pass  for commercial fishing vessels and  renewal practices                                                              
still would  be required.   He  said that  HB 60 has  overwhelming                                                              
support   in  the   fishing   industry.     He   also  said   that                                                              
registrations  put a burden  on DMV  and the proposed  legislation                                                              
would help alleviate workloads.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
11:28:35 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  HIMSCHOOT asked  whether  similar legislation  was                                                              
passed before.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
MR. GRUENING replied  that this legislation passed  last year, but                                                              
after midnight, and it was subsequently vetoed by the governor.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
11:28:53 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  KOPP remarked  that HB  31 makes  a lot of  sense.                                                              
He  asked for  clarification for  set-net fishermen  in skiffs  24                                                              
feet  or  less.    He said  they  are  already  exempt  from  CFEC                                                              
registration  and  currently register  with  the  DMV.   He  asked                                                              
whether HB 31 bill would change this.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
MR. GRUENING responded that skiffs associated with set netting                                                                  
would not be required to register with the CFEC and would                                                                       
continue registration with the DMV.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
11:29:49 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR STUTES announced that HB 31 was held over.