02/05/2009 03:30 PM Senate COMMUNITY & REGIONAL AFFAIRS

              SB   3-CFEC AS INFORMATION RESOURCE                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
3:37:20 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR OLSON announced the consideration of SB 3.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
TIM BENINTENDI, Staff to Senator  Olson, introduced SB 3 with the                                                               
following statement:                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     Senate Bill  3 would provide  a benefit to  the state's                                                                    
     economic  development  organizations,   or  ARDORs,  by                                                                    
     providing   them  with   the   opportunity  to   obtain                                                                    
     information   from  the   Commercial  Fisheries   Entry                                                                    
     Commission without charge.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
     The   intent  of   the  bill   is  to   provide  public                                                                    
     information  to the  ARDORs at  no  cost. We  emphasize                                                                    
     that  under AS  16.05.815, which  does apply  to SB  3,                                                                    
     that   no  confidential   information  would   be  made                                                                    
     available. So that's a pretty important point.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
     The  information  would  especially benefit  the  eight                                                                    
     ARDORs  with   commercial  fishing  as   a  significant                                                                    
     portion  of  their  economies,   and  would  help  them                                                                    
     anticipate  regional  economic trends  and  development                                                                    
     opportunities.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
     The   chairman  of   The  Commercial   Fisheries  Entry                                                                    
     Commission supports  the bill  and feels that  the loss                                                                    
     of fees  would be negligible.  The bill carries  a zero                                                                    
     fiscal note.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
3:38:39 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR  OLSON  asked if  a  lot  of  information has  been  missed                                                               
because this statute hasn't been in place.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
MR. BENINTENDI replied  he hasn't heard that. Some,  but not all,                                                               
ARDORs claim they already get  information at no cost. Placing it                                                               
in  statute   simply  gives  everyone  the   same  advantage.  He                                                               
suggested that Mr. Homan might address it in more detail.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR FRENCH  noted the  many letters of  support and  asked if                                                               
anyone has come out in opposition.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
MR. BENINTENDI said no.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
3:40:09 PM                                                                                                                    
FRANK  HOLMAN,  Chair,  Commercial Entries  Fisheries  Commission                                                               
(CEFC), stated support for SB 3.  Typically, CEFC would not be in                                                               
favor of doing  work without getting revenue, but  he is familiar                                                               
with  the financial  conditions of  ARDORS and  in the  past CEFC                                                               
hasn't had  many requests. Most of  the time ARDORs use  a third-                                                               
party consultant to contact the  commission for information. This                                                               
may  provide a  direct avenue  to get  the information.  "There's                                                               
only a few ARDORS and we don't anticipate a big rush," he said.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR OLSON said  he understands that ARDORs will be  able to get                                                               
information  from  CFEC  without  charge   and  if  they  hire  a                                                               
consultant, he or she will also be able get the information.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR. HOLMAN  replied he doesn't  believe it says that,  but ARDORs                                                               
could get  the information directly from  CFEC. "We want to  be a                                                               
little bit careful about opening this up too wide," he added.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR THOMAS noted  that the new language  refers to "relevant"                                                               
fisheries and asked if that is limiting.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
MR.  HOLMAN explained  that the  term makes  a distinction.  CFEC                                                               
anticipates that the  ARDORs will ask for fisheries  data that is                                                               
related to their particular district.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
3:43:35 PM                                                                                                                    
TYSON   FICK,  Legislative   Liaison,  Department   of  Commerce,                                                               
Community  &  Economic  Development   (DCCED),  stated  that  the                                                               
department supports the  bill and has issued a  zero fiscal note.                                                               
His understanding  of whether or  not an  ARDOR is charged  for a                                                               
data request  is that it's  often a function  of the size  of the                                                               
request. Placing this  in statute clarifies that  ARDORs won't be                                                               
charged for larger requests.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR OLSON  closed public  testimony and asked  for the  will of                                                               
the committee.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR MENARD moved  to report SB 3 from  committee. There being                                                               
no  objection  Chair  Olson  announced   that  SB  3  moves  from                                                               
committee  with individual  recommendations  and attached  fiscal                                                               
note.