02/04/2020 11:00 AM House FISHERIES

               HB 203-TRANSPORTATION OF LIVE CRAB                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
11:08:55 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR STUTES announced that the  first order of business would be                                                               
HOUSE BILL  NO. 203, "An  Act relating to transportation  of live                                                               
crab."                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR STUTES noted that the  committee had received word from the                                                               
Environmental   Health  Division,   within   the  Department   of                                                               
Environmental Conservation  (DEC), stating that the  division has                                                               
no issue with  the proposed legislation.  She  further noted that                                                               
an amendment to HB 203 was in the committee packet.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
11:09:42 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE KNOPP, Alaska State  Legislature, as prime sponsor                                                               
of  HB 203,  expressed  gratitude for  the  amendment before  the                                                               
committee, Amendment 1,  which was borne out  of public feedback.                                                               
He remarked  that it is nice  to carry a bill  that is "virtually                                                               
noncontroversial  and broadly  supported  across  the state  from                                                               
every  industry."   He said  he thinks  the proposed  legislation                                                               
would result in value added regarding the shipping of crab.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
11:10:29 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  STUTES  opened   public  testimony  on  HB   203.    After                                                               
ascertaining there was  no one who wished to  testify, she closed                                                               
public testimony.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
11:10:53 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  EDGMON moved  to adopt  Amendment 1,  labeled 31-                                                               
LS1405\M.3, Klein, 1/31/20, which read as follows:                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
     Page 1, lines 6 - 10:                                                                                                      
          Delete all material and insert:                                                                                       
          "taken live [KING] crab, unless the crab have                                                                 
     been landed  in a port in  the state and recorded  on a                                                                
     fish ticket form prescribed  by the department [SPECIES                                                                
     PARALITHODES   CAMTSCHATICA,   LIVE   DUNGENESS   CRAB,                                                                    
     SPECIES CANCER  MAGISTER, OR LIVE TANNER  CRAB, SPECIES                                                                    
     CHIONOECETES BAIRDI,  EXCEPT THAT ALL OF  THESE SPECIES                                                                    
     MAY  BE  SHIPPED  LIVE  VIA   AIR  FREIGHT  AFTER  PRE-                                                                    
     PACKAGING]."                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
     Page 1, lines 11 - 12:                                                                                                     
          Delete "Dungeness crab, species Cancer magister,"                                                                     
          Insert "[DUNGENESS] crab [, SPECIES CANCER                                                                            
     MAGISTER,]"                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     Page 1, line 15:                                                                                                           
          Delete "Dungeness"                                                                                                    
          Insert "[DUNGENESS]"                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE EDGMON  explained that Amendment 1  would add more                                                               
specific  information  on  species.   He  deferred  to  the  bill                                                               
sponsor to provide further information.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
11:11:24 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR STUTES  objected to  the motion to  adopt Amendment  1, for                                                               
purposes of discussion.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
11:11:37 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE KNOPP  noted concerns expressed by  the Department                                                               
of Public  Safety (DPS)  regarding language  potentially becoming                                                               
misconstrued.    He  said the  department  initially  recommended                                                               
repealing  the entire  statute; however,  he recommended  listing                                                               
the  scientific names  of  three  species "and  what  used to  be                                                               
exempt"  for  the  purpose  of  preserving  the  ability  of  the                                                               
Department of  Environmental Conservation  (DEC) to  do paralytic                                                               
shellfish poisoning (PSP) testing.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
11:12:28 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
INTIMAYO  HARBISON,  Staff,  Representative  Gary  Knopp,  Alaska                                                               
State  Legislature,   related  that  Amendment  1   would  remove                                                               
restriction on  all crab  species for the  purpose of  testing as                                                               
well as expansion of future industry.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
11:13:00 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  STUTES removed  her  objection.   There  being no  further                                                               
objection, Amendment 1 was adopted.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
11:13:19 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
The committee took a brief at-ease at 11:13 a.m.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
11:13:54 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE EDGMON moved to report  HB 203, as amended, out of                                                               
committee  with individual  recommendations and  the accompanying                                                               
fiscal  notes.   There  being  no  objection, CSHB  203(FSH)  was                                                               
reported out of the House Special Committee on Fisheries.