Legislature(2025 - 2026)BARNES 124
03/26/2025 01:00 PM House RESOURCES
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB140 | |
| HB93 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| *+ | HB 140 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | HB 93 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED |
HB 93-RESIDENCY REQ: HUNTING, TRAPPING, FISHING
2:06:00 PM
CO-CHAIR BURKE announced that the next order of business would
be HOUSE BILL NO. 93, "An Act changing the residency
requirements for hunting, trapping, and sport fishing
privileges; and providing for an effective date."
2:06:20 PM
CO-CHAIR BURKE opened public testimony on HB 93
2:06:46 PM
DAVID EGELSTON, representing self, stated that he strongly
supported HB 93, explaining that it would tighten up the
loopholes that allow possibly thousands of people to improperly
claim residency in Alaska. Communities in Southeast Alaska see
people come from out of state and buy property, get a post
office box, and call it a permanent residence so they can run
subsistence long lines for halibut, net fish, and hunt big game,
taking advantage of the more liberal bag limits for Alaska
residents. In one community on Prince of Wales Island, he
estimated these "fake residents" to be almost 50 percent. If
these people were to buy non-resident licenses, the ADF&G
revenue would be greatly increased, and fish and game
populations would be more available to Alaska residents. He
pointed out that rural subsistence users struggle to deal with
the effects of climate change, and limiting the take of these
non-residents would leave more animals and fish for subsistence
use.
2:09:17 PM
NICHOLAS ORR, representing self, provided background regarding
permits of federally qualified hunters, characterizing it as a
rural versus urban issue. He summarized the federal system and
the state system as it pertained to hunting and fishing. He
also expressed his opinion that there was some small town
settling of scores involved with this legislation. He answered
questions from Representative Saddler and Representative Fields
regarding the definition of federally qualified status and
whether the organizations he is associated with support the
bill.
2:15:36 PM
JEN LEAHY, representing self, expressed support for HB 93. She
explained that her family relies on fish and wildlife resources
for subsistence and personal use. She described the changes she
and her partner have seen over the past 20 years in terms of
decreased abundance and increased competition for resources.
She stated her belief that the best way to avoid user conflicts
is to ensure that the harvest limits allowed for Alaskans are
being utilized only by Alaska residents. She saw HB 93 as a
tool for corrective action, pointing out that the definition of
residency was too broad and difficult to enforce, but the
legislation would create additional barriers for non-residents.
She said she valued the role that non-residents hunters and
anglers play in the outdoor recreation economy but supported
using the PFD requirement as a means of defining residency.
2:19:00 PM
CO-CHAIR BURKE, after ascertaining there was no one else who
wished to testify, closed public testimony.
2:19:18 PM
REPRESENTATIVE RAUSCHER moved to adopt Amendment 1 to HB 93,
labeled 34-LS0058\N.2, Bullard, 3/17/25, which read as follows:
Page 2, line 2:
Delete "was absent only"
Insert "(A) was absent"
Page 2, line 3, following "AS 43.23.008;":
Insert "or
(B) holds a permanent identification card
issued under AS 16.05.400(b) and was absent providing
care for a family member who is ill;"
Page 2, line 15:
Delete "was absent only"
Insert "(A) was absent"
Page 2, line 16, following "AS 43.23.008;":
Insert "or
(B) holds a permanent identification card
issued under AS 16.05.400(b) and was absent providing
care for a family member who is ill;"
2:19:26 PM
CO-CHAIR BURKE objected for the purposes of discussion.
2:19:35 PM
REPRESENTATIVE RAUSCHER explained that Amendment 1 would add an
allowance to the PFD exemption list that would permit an
individual to exceed the 90- or 45-day extension if the absence
was for the purpose of providing care to a family member who was
ill.
2:23:07 PM
REPRESENTATIVE RAUSCHER responded to concerns expressed by
Representative Saddler and Representative Mears regarding what
they perceived as the meaning of "ill" and "providing care" to
be too vague. On the issue of how to calculate the number of
allowable days, he explained the primary purpose was to close a
loophole. Regarding a related concern, he explained it is not
about setting a clock but rather says an individual has met the
reason for being exempt.
2:26:28 PM
REPRESENTATIVE HIMSCHOOT, Alaska State Legislature, addressed
the concerns raised by committee members and described the
excused absences defined by the PFD statute. She suggested that
for the handful of people not covered by the PFD language, a
change in the dividend statute would ensure that HB 93 aligned
with the PFD statute. She reminded the committee that the bill
had a full year before its effective date to allow people to
maintain their residency.
2:28:44 PM
CO-CHAIR BURKE maintained her objection.
2:28:52 PM
A roll call vote was taken. Representatives Coulombe, Rauscher,
Saddler, and Elam voted in favor of Amendment 1 to HB 93.
Representatives Fields, Hall, Mears, Dibert, and Burke voted
against it. Therefore, Amendment 1 failed to be adopted by a
vote of 5-4.
2:29:33 PM
REPRESENTATIVE DIBERT moved to report HB 93, work order 34-
LS0058\N out of committee with individual recommendations and
the attached zero fiscal note.
2:29:51 PM
The committee took an at-ease from 2:29 p.m. to 2:31 p.m.
2:31:08 PM
REPRESENTATIVE COULOMBE objected for the purpose of discussion.
She pointed out that an application for a permit requires
extensive answers to questions, and she did not understand why
the wildlife troopers would question the permit in the field.
She followed that question by asking whether the questions on
the application would change if this bill was adopted, and if
so, would the wildlife troopers stop questioning the validity of
permits.
2:32:23 PM
REPRESENTATIVE HIMSCHOOT explained that spot checking includes
determining whether a person has a license and also determining
whether a person is under resident or non-resident rules.
2:33:17 PM
THATCHER BROUWER, Staff, Representative Himschoot, Alaska State
Legislature, clarified that with a regular fish and game license
or a trapping license, the applicant self-certifies. The
application has a series of questions, and the troopers would
ensure that a person was honest when they filled out the
application.
2:34:00 PM
REPRESENTATIVE HIMSCHOOT responded to Representative Coulombe's
question regarding how to determine whether a license-holder was
honest. She explained that the troopers asked a number of
questions including the license-holder's domicile, and if the
troopers suspected a problem, they would follow up on-line.
2:34:50 PM
BRYAN BARLOW, COLONEL, Director, Alaska Wildlife Troopers,
Department of Public Safety, answered questions regarding
hunting, fishing, and trapping license certification. In
response to questions posed by Representative Coulombe, he
explained that the licenses were applied for and received from
ADF&G. It was assumed that the information received is
accurate, and the license is issued based on that information.
It has been common for the troopers to contact license-holders
in the field and ask questions as part of normal enforcement
efforts. Verifying residency is part of the process, and if
issues come up during the conversations, the department follows
up later and might initiate a residency investigation.
Otherwise, the wildlife troopers have been dependent on tips or
information coming from other entities. Such investigations are
very time intensive. Because the licenses are issued by ADF&G,
the Department of Public Safety is not part of the verification
process. In addition, troopers in the field may see cues or
factors that indicate a person who claims a residence license
might not be a resident, and the department will follow up.
2:38:45 PM
REPRESENTATIVE HIMSCHOOT pointed out that licenses are mostly
online now, but they are also sold in convenience stores and on
board charter boats so that they are convenient for to purchase.
2:40:00 PM
COLONEL BARLOW responded to a question from Representative
Coulombe regarding the number of residency investigations they
conducted, explaining that they conducted approximately 118
residency investigations a year. He explained that he did not
have the information at that time regarding how many of those
were "forever licenses."
2:40:31 PM
COLONEL BARLOW addressed a question posed by Representative
Rauscher by explaining that the troopers would assume a license
is legitimate and has been obtained legitimately until they
received or encountered cues, information, or statements that
led them to believe that might not be the case. Then there
would be a residency investigation which weighs factors from
multiple sources and databases. Unless a trooper finds
information on-scene that shows the license-holder is not an
Alaska resident, that individual could continue to hunt, fish,
or trap until the residency investigation is complete.
2:44:46 PM
COLONEL BARLOW, in response to a question from Representative
Mears, explained that although the department was neutral on
this legislation, the proposed law would make determining
residency more succinct.
2:47:35 PM
REPRESENTATIVE COULOMBE explained that she did not support the
bill but removed her objection.
2:48:12 PM
CO-CHAIR BURKE announced that there being no objection, HB 93
was reported out of committee.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| Letter of Support for HB 140 AK Department of Ag 3.25.pdf |
HRES 3/26/2025 1:00:00 PM |
HB 140 |
| HB 93 H RES amendment 1.pdf |
HRES 3/26/2025 1:00:00 PM |
HB 93 |
| HB 140 Alaska Food Policy Council, Policy Brief, Department of Agriculture 2025.pdf |
HRES 3/26/2025 1:00:00 PM |
HB 140 |
| HB 140 Sectional Analysis.pdf |
HRES 3/26/2025 1:00:00 PM |
HB 140 |
| HB 140 Department of Agriculture Presentation.pdf |
HRES 3/26/2025 1:00:00 PM |
HB 140 |
| HB 140 Department of Agriculture White Paper 2024.pdf |
HRES 3/26/2025 1:00:00 PM |
HB 140 |
| HB 140 Sponsor Statement.pdf |
HRES 3/26/2025 1:00:00 PM |
HB 140 |
| HB 140 fiscal note 3.pdf |
HRES 3/26/2025 1:00:00 PM |
HB 140 |
| HB 140 fiscal note 1.pdf |
HRES 3/26/2025 1:00:00 PM |
HB 140 |
| HB 140 fiscal note 2.pdf |
HRES 3/26/2025 1:00:00 PM |
HB 140 |