Legislature(2025 - 2026)BUTROVICH 205
02/03/2025 03:30 PM Senate RESOURCES
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| SB29 | |
| SB30 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| *+ | SB 29 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | SB 30 | TELECONFERENCED | |
SB 29-BIG GAME COMMERCIAL SERVICES BOARD
3:31:41 PM
CHAIR GIESSEL announced the consideration of SENATE BILL NO. 29
"An Act relating to an executive administrator for the Big Game
Commercial Services Board."
3:32:13 PM
SENATOR JESSE BJORKMAN, District D, Alaska State Legislature,
Juneau, Alaska paraphrased the sponsor statement for SB 29,
version A:
[Original punctuation provided.]
SB 29 Big Game Commercial Services Board
Version A Sponsor Statement
Senate Bill 29 secures the executive administrator
position to the Big Game Commercial Services Board in
statute. This position is paid for by guide licensing
fees and has been requested by the Big Game Commercial
Services Board to make their work more efficient and
cost effective. Guiding has many complex regulations.
Designating a temporary position to concentrate on
licensing functions, examinations and investigations
is current practice and it is working well. Securing
this position in statute adds assurance to the
continuation of this effective process.
The Big Game Commercial Services Board plays an
important role in the management of commercial game
hunters in the interest of the State's wildlife
resources. They fulfill this role by managing all
hunting guide licensing functions, administering board
meetings, assisting the board with maintaining and
writing 29 written and practical exams, generating
reports, and assisting Department of Commerce
Community and Economic Development's Investigative
Services and Department of Public Safety in game
investigations.
New licensing examiners require extensive training,
and with board members only serving 4 years, it seems
like they depart as soon as they are up to speed. This
has led to administrative errors that were highlighted
in the recent audit of the Board. The Board was
previously sharing an executive administrator with the
Board of Marine Pilots to help address the workload.
While this helped, the two boards were too complex. As
a result, a temporary position was created in the FY24
and FY25 budgets to add this executive administrator
using Designated General Funds paid for by guide
licensing fees. This bill would continue using the
same funding source and codify this position and its
range into statute.
Please contact Savaya (465-2615) with any questions or
comments related to this bill.
SENATOR BJORKMAN said Mike Flores, current vice chair of the Big
Game Commercial Services Board, and Jason Bunch, the previous
Big Game Commercial Services Board chair were available online
to answer questions.
3:34:32 PM
SAVAYA BIEBER, Staff, Senator Jesse Bjorkman, Alaska State
Legislature, Juneau, Alaska, provided the sectional analysis for
SB 29, version A:
[Original punctuation provided.]
SB 29 Big Game Commercial Services Board Version A
Sectional Analysis
Section 1: Amends AS 08.54.591 by adding a new
subsection that would require the department employ an
executive administrator to support the Big Game
Commercial Services Board.
Section 2: Amends AS 08.54.600(a) to require the board
to establish the qualifications and duties of the
board's executive administrator.
Section 3: Amends AS 39.25.120(c) by adding the
principle executive administrator for the board to the
list of employees in the partially exempt service.
3:35:22 PM
SENATOR DUNBAR noted that similar legislation was introduced
during past sessions. He asked whether there were significant
changes to this version.
3:35:33 PM
SENATOR BJORKMAN said SB 29 was identical to the bill introduced
[in 2024].
3:35:42 PM
SENATOR KAWASAKI noted the 2023 audit report did not call for a
board administrator. He asked what justified the position.
3:36:05 PM
SENATOR BJORKMAN said the [Big Game Commercial Services] Board
requested the position. The position was also recommended by the
Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development
(DCCED) to assist the board in its work and accuracy. He
suggested that Director Robb, DCCED Division of Corporations,
Business and Professional Licensing could better explain.
3:36:32 PM
SENATOR KAWASAKI noted that in its 2023 audit report [page 9],
the board concluded that [license] fees would be lowered because
of the budget surplus of over $850,000 with the goal of reaching
net zero for the board's operations. He asked for board members
comments.
3:37:06 PM
CHAIR GIESSEL affirmed the concept of an executive director
considering the complex issues dealt with by the board. She
referred to page 10 of the audit report and noted that the [Big
Game Commercial Services] Board concluded [the $850,000 surplus]
would be adequate to support an executive director.
3:38:12 PM
SENATOR BJORKMAN deferred the question to the [Big Game
Commercial Services] Board to ascertain the boards intent. He
noted that the money the guide board requested to spend [for an
administrator] came from administrative fees. He said the board
had a high desire to perform their licensing functions
accurately. Guides must demonstrate extensive knowledge of
Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) regulations, as well
as other specific expertise. He said a dedicated staff person to
assist the board with their licensing function was the board's
desire.
3:39:05 PM
SENATOR CLAMAN noted that despite constitutional provisions
about no dedicated funds, this was a dedicated fund.
3:39:29 PM
SENATOR BJORKMAN argued that the funds were not dedicated,
rather they were designated. He said the money was from license
fees paid by guides to regulate their industry and their
licenses.
3:39:45 PM
SENATOR CLAMAN clarified that this was not a pre-statehood fish
and game licensing fee that could be dedicated, but because it
came up after statehood, could be designated, but not dedicated.
3:39:59 PM
SENATOR BJORKMAN concurred.
SENATOR CLAMAN explained that it was his intent to be sure the
legislators agreed [about the nature of the fees] because it can
be confusing.
3:40:13 PM
CHAIR GIESSEL clarified further that this was not a Fish and
Game fee, but was a licensing fee, paid by the licensee. She
compared it to fees paid by medical professionals to the boards
that regulate those professions. She reiterated that it was not
a [Alaska Department of] Fish and Game (ADF&G) fee.
3:40:44 PM
SENATOR CLAMAN also further clarified that these fees were
distinct from the fees that would be paid to get a hunting
license. He said a hunting license was a dedicated fee and these
fees were unrelated.
3:41:09 PM
CHAIR GIESSEL said a fee to hunt a bear was paid to ADF&G; the
fees paid to a board to regulate the guides was completely
different.
CHAIR GIESSEL announced invited testimony on SB 29.
3:41:54 PM
JASON BUNCH, representing self, Kodiak, Alaska testified by
invitation on SB 29. He introduced himself as a former member of
the Big Game Commercial Services Board, serving from 2018 to
2024, with the last three years as board chair.
MR. BUNCH testified about the need for an Executive
Administrator (EA) position to improve the efficiency of the Big
Game Commercial Services Board's licensing program. He
highlighted the identification of efficiency errors in the
administration of the licensing program six years ago and
described the efforts of the board to improve communication with
Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development
(DCCED) licensing examiners. He noted the high turnover rate of
the licensing examiners and said the administrative burden for
the board was too high. A shared EA position with the Board of
Marine Pilots was a temporary solution, but the two boards'
needs often conflicted. Bunch noted that licensees were willing
to fund the EA if it ensured better administration, but the
board could not afford the position without raising fees.
3:45:04 PM
SENATOR MYERS asked whether there were any ideas to encourage
board members to serve longer than one four-year term.
3:45:25 PM
MR. BUNCH noted that he served part of a term when a former
board member vacated their position and then a full term. Recent
public members have all served two terms and the guide member is
beginning his second term. Retaining members has improved, and
members learn a lot and often find they enjoy serving; but
finding new board members is a challenge. He highlighted the
importance of finding new members who have a passion for
wildlife and understand the value guiding brings to the state of
Alaska.
3:48:06 PM
MIKE FLORES, Co-Chair, Big Game Commercial Services Board,
Soldotna, Alaska, testified by invitation on SB 29. He
emphasized the importance of Senate Bill 29 for the long-term
stability of the Big Game Commercial Services Board,
highlighting the complexity of the executive director's role and
the time required to become effective. He said the board faced a
high workload, managing over 20 people on probation, more than
50 open cases, and a significant number of new guides needing
testing. Additionally, he noted numerous regulatory proposals in
process.
MR. FLORES concluded that SB 29 would support the long-term
stability and health of the board by providing leadership
support equipped to meet the board's complexity.
3:50:04 PM
CHAIR GIESSEL noted that the audit review only extended the
board for six years, two years less than the eight-year
statutory maximum. The review concluded that board licenses were
not consistently supported by adequate documentation, and two
private landowner board seats were vacant or had absences for
extended periods. She said the commissioner's response to the
audit was to recommend the board consider whether two private
landowner board seats continue to be necessary for effective
regulation. She asked for the board position on that
recommendation.
3:51:02 PM
MR. FLORES said the board considered possible options and
concluded that more participation was better. He said finding
people to fill board positions was difficult and it was
preferable to fill the positions with guides or transporters or
public members if it was not possible to fill them with
landowners over leaving the positions vacant.
3:51:52 PM
CHAIR GIESSEL concluded invited testimony on SB 29.
3:52:00 PM
SENATOR HUGHES referred to the 2023 audit report and noted that
the Big Game Commercial Services Board oversaw 1,438 active
licenses, had 409 open cases and met about five times annually.
She asked whether this workload was typical for boards with
executive directors and asked that it be compared to other
boards.
3:53:05 PM
SENATOR BJORKMAN noted Director Robb was available to answer
questions relating to boards.
3:53:35 PM
SYLVAN ROBB, Director, Division of Corporations, Business and
Professional Licensing, Department of Commerce, Community, and
Economic Development, Juneau, Alaska, answered that there were
six comparable boards with executive directors including the Big
Game Commercial Services Board. She said the number of licensees
varied among these boards, but complexity and workload were
significant factors. She noted that Big Game Commercial Services
Board included 26 guide management unit exams and three exams
for registered guide outfitters as well as jurisprudence exams
for transporters and class A guides, indicating the extensive
work involved in the program.
MS. ROBB said the Board of Nursing was not a good comparison due
to its large size, with 32,000 licensees. Boards with similar
numbers of licensees and executive administrators included the
Board of Public Accountancy.
MS. ROBB provided an update on the rapid growth of the guiding
profession, noting that the number of licensees increased from
the audit period to the end of fiscal year 2024 to 1,746
licensees.
3:55:28 PM
SENATOR HUGHES emphasized the significant growth. She wondered
why the governor did not bring forth the bill and asked whether
the executive branch supported it.
3:56:05 PM
MS. ROBB said the bill, the Executive Director (ED) position and
the funding for it were supported by the Department of Commerce,
Community and Economic Development (DCCED) for the fiscal year
2024 budget. She said the position was created as a temporary,
exempt position and was currently filled. She could not speak to
the position of the governor on SB 29.
3:56:36 PM
SENATOR HUGHES referred to the audit and the 2023 reduction of
fees. She asked whether the fees would go back up to create the
Executive Order position.
3:57:18 PM
MS. ROBB affirmed that the fees were reduced. She referred to AS
08.01.065, which mandates setting fees to cover the cost of
regulating the profession. She acknowledged uncertainty in
predicting the number of new licensees and renewals, which, she
said, affects the fee-setting process. She said the goal was not
to achieve a zero surplus, as investigations are an inherent
part of the fee-setting equation and investigation costs are
unpredictable, including expensive cases that reached the state
Supreme Court.
3:58:44 PM
SENATOR KAWASAKI expressed surprise that only six boards had
executive directors and asked which boards they were.
3:59:10 PM
MS. ROBB answered:
• the State Medical Board
• the Board of Nursing
• the Board of Pharmacy
• Board of Registration for Architects, Engineers and Land
Surveyors
• the Board of Public Accountancy
• the Real Estate Commission
• the Board of Marine Pilots (Marine Pilot Coordinator)
3:59:37 PM
SENATOR KAWASAKI asked how other boards manage administrative
functions without executive directors.
4:00:00 PM
MS. ROBB said DCCED oversaw 21 regulatory boards. She said the
Board of Nursing, for instance, had a team of 13 to manage
32,000 licensees. Smaller boards had fewer members, making
coordination easier. The complexity of licensing work varied,
with some boards requiring more frequent interaction with
licensees. She emphasized that the Big Game Commercial Services
Board had many documents, and it required licensees to submit
hunt reports after every hunt and activity reports after each
transport. She said the frequent interaction with licensees
generated a significant amount of work.
4:01:57 PM
SENATOR CLAMAN emphasized the number of active licensees and
noted the 20 percent plus increase over 2023. He asked whether
there was an explanation for the increase and if it indicated a
trend that was expected to continue.
4:02:27 PM
MS. ROBB said there were a number of professions for which DCCED
had seen increases. She deferred to the board members for
possible industry-related explanations.
4:02:51 PM
SENATOR CLAMAN affirmed his interest, noting that other areas of
the economy were not demonstrating increases.
4:03:10 PM
MS. ROBB offered to follow up with answers for the committee.
4:03:29 PM
CHAIR GIESSEL noted there was no fiscal note with the documents
for SB 29. She asked whether DCCED had a fiscal note for SB 29.
4:04:13 PM
MS. ROBB said there was a fiscal note for $194,800 for the
executive director position. She clarified that the fiscal note
reflected an increase of about $54,000 per year.
4:04:41 PM
CHAIR GIESSEL said the fiscal note Ms. Robb referred to was for
SB 248 and so would not coincide to SB 29. She anticipated a new
fiscal note for SB 29.
4:04:56 PM
CHAIR GIESSEL applauded the Big Game Commercial Services Board
for overcoming a $1 million deficit over the past ten or twelve
years.
4:05:47 PM
SENATOR BJORKMAN expressed gratitude for the opportunity to
present SB 29. He reiterated that SB 29 was supported by the
guides who were willing to fund it through their licensing fees.
He said the goal of SB 29 was to ensure that Alaska's Big Game
Guides can provide safe, enjoyable and successful hunting
experiences.
4:06:46 PM
CHAIR GIESSEL held SB 29 in committee.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| SB 30 Ver A Sponsor Statement.pdf |
SRES 2/3/2025 3:30:00 PM |
SB 30 |
| SB 30 Ver I Sectional Analysis.pdf |
SRES 2/3/2025 3:30:00 PM |
SB 30 |
| SB 30 ver A.pdf |
SRES 2/3/2025 3:30:00 PM |
SB 30 |
| SB 30 Ver I Sponsor Statement.pdf |
SRES 2/3/2025 3:30:00 PM |
SB 30 |
| SB 30 Summary of Changes Ver A to I.pdf |
SRES 2/3/2025 3:30:00 PM |
SB 30 |
| SB 30 Ver A Sectional Analysis.pdf |
SRES 2/3/2025 3:30:00 PM |
SB 30 |
| SB30 ver I.pdf |
SRES 2/3/2025 3:30:00 PM |
SB 30 |
| SB 30 Written Testimony.pdf |
SRES 2/3/2025 3:30:00 PM |
SB 30 |
| SB 29 Sponsor Statement Version A.pdf |
SRES 2/3/2025 3:30:00 PM |
SB 29 |
| SB 29 Version A.pdf |
SRES 2/3/2025 3:30:00 PM |
SB 29 |
| SB 29 BGCSB Audit 06.22.23.pdf |
SRES 2/3/2025 3:30:00 PM |
SB 29 |
| SB 29 Sectional Analysis Version A.pdf |
SRES 2/3/2025 3:30:00 PM |
SB 29 |