03/07/2024 10:00 AM House FISHERIES

                 HB 295-SALMON HATCHERY PERMITS                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
10:04:44 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR VANCE announced  that the first order of  business would be                                                               
HOUSE BILL NO. 295, "An  Act relating to salmon hatchery permits;                                                               
and  authorizing the  sale  of salmon  to  permitted persons  for                                                               
stocking lakes."                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  MCCABE  moved  to adopt  the  proposed  committee                                                               
substitute  (CS)  for  HB   295,  Version  33-GH2383\S,  Bullard,                                                               
3/5/24, as the work draft.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE CARPENTER objected for the purpose of discussion.                                                                
                                                                                                                                
10:05:31 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
JAKE  ALMEIDA, Staff,  Representative Sarah  Vance, Alaska  State                                                               
Legislature, provided an explanation  to the committee substitute                                                               
(CS) for HB  295, which was per the  department's request because                                                               
the  first  iteration  of  the  bill did  not  cite  the  correct                                                               
statutory reference  in Section 1, line  7.  In addition  to this                                                               
main change,  he explained, Section  2 would add the  word "wild"                                                               
on  line 12  in  reference  to the  board  of  fisheries and  its                                                               
authority over the issuance of permits.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
10:06:33 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE CARPENTER  removed his objection.   There being no                                                               
further objection, Version S was before the committee.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
10:07:32 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
SAMUEL  RABUNG, Director,  Commercial Fisheries  Division, Alaska                                                               
Department  of  Fish  and Game  (ADF&G),  as  invited  testifier,                                                               
expounded on the  changes in Version S to HB  295.  He reiterated                                                               
that the main change was to  correct the statutory citation.  The                                                               
second change  was to an  error recognized  in the 1980s  and "we                                                               
just lived with it."   He provided further background of verbiage                                                               
back to the  1970s.  He said the new  language clarifies that the                                                               
board  has  authority over  allocating  wild  fish resources  and                                                               
harvesting.   He added it  is also consistent with  the shellfish                                                               
bill  from a  couple  years  ago and  is  being  proposed now  to                                                               
clarify and remove a conflict.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
10:10:21 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR VANCE expressed appreciation  for the drafter who clarified                                                               
Section 1 for better understanding.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
10:11:06 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  MCCABE  moved to  report  CSHB  295, Version  33-                                                               
GH2383\S,  Bullard,  3/5/24,  out of  committee  with  individual                                                               
recommendations and  the accompanying fiscal notes.   There being                                                               
no  objection,  CSHB  295(FSH)  was reported  out  of  the  House                                                               
Special Committee on Fisheries.