02/23/2010 10:15 AM House FISHERIES

           HB 344-SALMON PRODUCT DEVELOP. TAX CREDIT                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
10:21:12 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR EDGMON announced that the  first order of business would be                                                               
HOUSE  BILL NO.  344,  "An  Act relating  to  the salmon  product                                                               
development tax  credit; and providing  for an effective  date by                                                               
amending  an effective  date  in sec.  7, ch.  57,  SLA 2003,  as                                                               
amended by  sec. 4, ch. 3,  SLA 2006, and  by sec. 4, ch.  8, SLA                                                               
2008."                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
10:21:28 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE KELLER moved to adopt  CSHB 344, 26-LS1473\R, Kane                                                               
2/22/10, as the working document.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  EDGMON,  hearing no  objection,  announced  Version R  was                                                               
before the committee.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
10:22:11 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
TIM  CLARK,  Staff,  Representative Bryce  Edgmon,  Alaska  State                                                               
Legislature,  explained that  CSHB 344,  Version R,  includes ice                                                               
making  equipment  as a  major  means  to accomplish  value-added                                                               
processing; page  2, line 7,  sub-subparagraph (i).  He  said the                                                               
value-added  processes  that have  most  increased  the worth  of                                                               
salmon catches  depend on high  quality harvest.  With  a greater                                                               
proportion  of high  quality fish,  more can  be directed  to the                                                               
value-added  processes.    Ice   is  essential  to  significantly                                                               
increasing  the  percentage  of  number 1  grade  fish  from  the                                                               
harvest.   Adding ice making  equipment to the list  of qualified                                                               
investments  under  the  products development  tax  credit  would                                                               
result in a  significantly larger quantity of  quality salmon and                                                               
increase the proportion of value-added processing.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
10:23:40 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
PETER ECKLUND, Staff, Representative  William "Bill" Thomas, Jr.,                                                               
Alaska State Legislature, stated sponsor support for Version R.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
10:23:59 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE JOHNSON  asked if the  only change to the  bill is                                                               
the inclusion of ice making equipment.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR EDGMON said yes.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
10:24:40 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  MUNOZ  moved  to  report CSHB  344,  Version  26-                                                               
LS1473\R,  Kane,  2/22/10,  out   of  committee  with  individual                                                               
recommendations and  the accompanying  fiscal notes.   Hearing no                                                               
objection,  CSHB   344(FSH)  moved  out  of   the  House  Special                                                               
Committee on Fisheries.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
10:25:34 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
The committee recessed to a call of the chair.