04/09/2009 01:30 PM House FINANCE

SENATE BILL NO. 3                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
     "An Act authorizing an Alaska regional development                                                                         
     organization to use the Alaska Commercial Fisheries                                                                        
     Entry Commission as an informational resource."                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
TIM BENINTENDI, STAFF, SENATOR  DON OLSON, explained that the                                                                   
bill provides  a benefit to the state's  economic development                                                                   
organizations,  Alaska  Regional   Development  Organizations                                                                   
(ARDOR's),  by allowing  them  to obtain  public  information                                                                   
from  the   Commercial  Fisheries  Entry   Commission  (CFEC)                                                                   
without  charge.     The  bill  would  provide   only  public                                                                   
information;  no  confidential   information  would  be  made                                                                   
available, and no  custom research would be  authorized.  The                                                                   
information would especially benefit  the eight ARDOR's which                                                                   
have commercial  fishing  as a significant  portion  of their                                                                   
economies, and  would help them anticipate  regional economic                                                                   
trends and development opportunities.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Benintendi  related that AS 37.10.052 says  that resource                                                                   
agencies  shall charge  for services  and  AS 16.43.100  (16)                                                                   
says  the  CFEC  shall establish  reasonable  user  fees  for                                                                   
services.   Thus,  the provisions  of SB  3 must  be done  by                                                                   
statute instead of  regulation.  The CFEC supports  the bill,                                                                   
and feels the loss  of fees would be negligible  at less than                                                                   
$10,000 per year.  The bill carries two zero fiscal notes.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Stoltze expressed  his continuing  effort to  reach                                                                   
out to the commercial fishing industry.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
2:18:41 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
FRANK   HOMAN,  COMMISSIONER,   COMMERCIAL  FISHERIES   ENTRY                                                                   
COMMISSION, indicated  full support of  the bill in  order to                                                                   
help regional economic  development.  The ARDOR's  are funded                                                                   
by the  state, plus  donations and  grants.   He termed  it a                                                                   
worthy effort.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
2:19:51 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Representative   Crawford   expressed    his   confusion   in                                                                   
understanding the actual effect  of the bill.  Mr. Benintendi                                                                   
replied that  the main thrust  was to benefit the  ARDOR's as                                                                   
their budgets were  usually low.  The ARDOR's  could get this                                                                   
public information  for free, but they would  not have access                                                                   
to confidential information.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Representative Crawford asked  for an example of what sort of                                                                   
information would  be advantageous.  Mr. Homan  remarked that                                                                   
the ARDOR's were regional developments  and their regions may                                                                   
or may  not conform to  the way data  is presented.   ARDOR's                                                                   
have unique boundaries  and the information must  be tailored                                                                   
to fit their requests.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Stoltze  interjected that  this information  aids in                                                                   
grant requests.  Mr. Homan agreed.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
2:23:05 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Representative Crawford  asked why the ARDOR's  would want to                                                                   
know these things.  Mr. Homan  explained that the ARDOR's use                                                                   
economic information  to promote their area  and secure grant                                                                   
funds from the state or federal government.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Stoltze  reiterated that  many of these  ARDOR's are                                                                   
in some of the most depressed areas of the state.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Austerman  asserted  that the  ARDOR's  don't                                                                   
benefit the commercial  fishermen.  Mr. Homan  noted that the                                                                   
ARDOR's had sympathy for the fishermen.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
2:25:19 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair Thomas  asked how  the Commercial Fisheries  Entry                                                                   
Commission (CFEC)  is funded.  Mr. Homan explained  that CFEC                                                                   
was  funded entirely  by permit  license  renewal and  vessel                                                                   
licensing.  There is no general fund money at this time.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair  Thomas emphasized  that a  large amount  of money                                                                   
was  put into  vessel licensing  and into  the Department  of                                                                   
Fish and Game fund.  Mr. Homan  agreed that CFEC funds itself                                                                   
as well as a portion of the Commercial Fisheries Division.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
2:26:42 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Stoltze  noted that  the two  fiscal notes  had been                                                                   
discussed.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Hawker  MOVED to report  SB 3 out of  Committee with                                                                   
individual recommendations and  the accompanying fiscal note.                                                                   
There being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SB  3  was  REPORTED  out  of  Committee  with  a  "do  pass"                                                                   
recommendation   and  with  zero   fiscal  note  #1   by  the                                                                   
Department  of Commerce, Community  and Economic  Development                                                                   
and zero fiscal note #2 by the Department of Fish and Game.