Legislature(2019 - 2020)GRUENBERG 120
03/18/2020 05:00 PM House FISHERIES
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB247 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| += | HB 247 | TELECONFERENCED | |
HB 247-SPORT FISHING ENHANCEMENT SURCHARGE
5:04:46 PM
CHAIR STUTES announced that the only order of business would be
HOUSE BILL NO. 247, "An Act relating to the fish and game fund;
establishing the sport fishing enhancement surcharge; relating
to the repeal of the sport fishing facility surcharge; providing
for an effective date by amending the effective date of sec. 21,
chi 18, SLA 2016; and providing for an effective date."
5:05:10 PM
REPRESENTATIVE KOPP moved to adopt the proposed committee
substitute (CS) for HB 247, Version 31-GH2165\U, Klein, 3/16/20,
as a work draft.
5:05:22 PM
CHAIR STUTES objected to the motion, for the purpose of
discussion.
5:05:34 PM
MATT GRUENING, Staff, Representative Louise Stutes, Alaska State
Legislature, presented the CS for HB 247, ("Version U"), on
behalf of the House Rules Standing Committee, sponsor by request
of the governor. He stated that page 1 of Version U would
change the title of HB 247, by removing establishing the sport
fishing enhancement surcharge; relating to the repeal of the
sport fishing facility surcharge and replacing it with
relating to a sport fishing surcharge.
MR. GRUENING explained that in addition to the title change,
Version U would make three basic changes to HB 247. The first
change has to do with ADF&G allocations; it addresses the [sport
fishing enhancement surcharge], which, under the original bill
version would have been reduced by $5.00 [as shown on page 2,
lines 26, through page 3, line 5]. Version U would change that
reduction to $2.50, [as shown on page 2, line 31, through page
3, line 10]. He indicated that the amount of $2.50 was a
compromise reached by the committee.
MR. GRUENING said the second change would split the surcharge
into two different allocations. [This change is in Section 1,
on page 1, line 13, through page 2, line 5, which read as
follows:]
(1) $2.50 of each surcharge collected
to fisheries management, fisheries research, invasive
species suppression and eradication, habitat
restoration, and ongoing maintenance of the
department's sport fishing facilities and sport
fishing hatcher facilities; and
(2) the remainder of each surcharge
collected to sport fishing stock enhancement and
ongoing maintenance of the department's sport fishing
hatchery facilities.
MR. GRUENING explained that in the original bill version, the
allocation had been restricted to: "for maintenance and
enhancement of sport fisheries".
MR. GRUENING stated that the third change under Version U was
the removal of the special nonresident military small game and
sport fishing license, that was on [page 3, lines 3-4 of the
original bill version], because ADF&G has discontinued that
license.
5:07:30 PM
CHAIR STUTES removed her objection to the motion to adopt the
proposed committee substitute (CS) for HB 247, Version 31-
GH2165\U, Klein, 3/16/20, as a work draft. There being no
further objection, Version U was before the committee.
5:07:53 PM
DOUG VINCENT-LANG, Commissioner, Alaska Department of Fish &
Game, in response to Chair Stutes, said he had not seen the
exact language of Version U but was familiar with the concepts.
He expressed that the original version of HB 247 was carefully
crafted by ADF&G in an attempt to reach a compromise between the
commitment we had made originally when the bill went away,
versus having it move forward. He expressed ADF&G's
willingness to work with [the committee] to see that HB 247
moves forward.
5:08:34 PM
REPRESENTATIVE TARR commented that she is fine with the
compromise of a slightly reduced fee amount but thinks that, in
moving forward with the financial challenges the state is
facing, there will need to be opportunities for Alaskans to
contribute to things that they really care about. She expressed
that she would have supported keeping the fee the same and going
towards department needs; however, she said that she will
support the compromise that reduces the fee, and she hopes that
ADF&G will continue to do good work to keep the fisheries
healthy.
5:09:11 PM
CHAIR STUTES remarked that its a good deal when you like it a
little bit and you dont like it a little bit, which she said
she thinks is the current situation. She expressed that she,
her staff, and the commissioner were able to come to a
compromise with which they are comfortable.
5:09:29 PM
REPRESENTATIVE KOPP moved to report CSHB 247, Version 31-
GH2165\U, Klein, 3/16/20, out of committee with individual
recommendations and the accompanying fiscal note. There being
no objection, CSHB 247(FSH) was reported from the House Special
Committee on Fisheries.
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