02/11/2025 10:00 AM House FISHERIES

            HB 31-VESSELS: REGISTRATION/DERELICT FUND                                                                       
                                                                                                                              
10:07:44 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."                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
10:08:15 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MATT GRUENING, Staff, Representative  Louise Stutes, Alaska State                                                               
Legislature, on  behalf of Representative Stutes,  prime sponsor,                                                               
gave a  recap of  HB 31.   He explained that  HB 31  would exempt                                                               
active commercial  fishing vessels from  duplicative registration                                                               
requirements created by the passage  of Senate Bill 92 during the                                                               
Thirtieth Alaska  State Legislature  in 2018.   He noted  that it                                                               
would specifically  remove the requirement  for U.S.  Coast Guard                                                               
(USCG)  vessels   with  a  current  Commercial   Fisheries  Entry                                                               
Commission  (CFEC) registration  to  register  every three  years                                                               
with the Division of Motor Vehicles  (DMV).  Prior to the passage                                                               
of Senate Bill 92, these  documented vessels were already exempt.                                                               
He remarked that because of  a bill that was repealed, overlooked                                                               
was   the  CFEC   database  which   already  provides   ownership                                                               
information.   The intent  of the bill  is not  having commercial                                                               
fisherman register  with the  DMV when  pre-existing registration                                                               
processes are already in place.   Also in its current form, HB 31                                                               
would repeal the  derelict vessel program fund and  moves it into                                                               
the general fund (GF) instead.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
10:09:40 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  KOPP remarked  that HB  31 was  good common-sense                                                               
legislation, and he was happy to see it brought forward.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
10:10:05 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR STUTES opened public testimony on HB 31.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
10:10:33 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
RACHAEL LORD, representing  self, testified in support  of HB 31.                                                               
She said  that she helped  facilitate the Abandoned  and Derelict                                                               
Vessel  Taskforce  that  worked  with stakeholders  to  pass  the                                                               
original bill  in which this  provision was included.   She fully                                                               
supported  the CFEC  exemption,  and it  has  support from  other                                                               
stakeholders.  She remarked that  the federal documented database                                                               
is still  a barrier to  track and hold vessel  owners responsible                                                               
and  that CFEC  is  a great  database.   She  said  that she  was                                                               
disappointed in  the repeal of  the derelict vessel  program fund                                                               
and   that  every   state  that   deals  with   derelict  vessels                                                               
understands  that  the  best  method  to  address  them  is  with                                                               
prevention measures.   She stated that she  understood that there                                                               
is  not much  money in  that fund  or opportunities  to recapture                                                               
costs.   She said that the  state continues to be  flat-footed to                                                               
address the prevention of derelict vessels.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
10:13:21 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  STUTES,  after ascertaining  there  was  no one  else  who                                                               
wished to testify, closed public testimony on HB 31.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR STUTES, there  being no comments of  concern from committee                                                               
members, entertained a motion on HB 31.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
10:13:40 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  EDGMON moved  to report  HB 31  out of  committee                                                               
with  individual  recommendations  and  the  accompanying  fiscal                                                               
notes.  There  being no objection, HB 31 was  reported out of the                                                               
House Special Committee on Fisheries.