02/17/2025 03:30 PM Senate RESOURCES

           SB  29-BIG GAME COMMERCIAL SERVICES BOARD                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
4:01:59 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."                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR GIESSEL noted that this was  the second hearing of SB 29 by                                                               
the Senate Resources Standing Committee.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
4:02:26 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  JESSE BJORKMAN,  District D,  Alaska State  Legislature,                                                               
Juneau, Alaska, sponsor of SB  29, introduced himself and gave an                                                               
overview  of  SB  29.  He  said SB  29  would  put  an  Executive                                                               
Administrator  position  for  the Big  Game  Commercial  Services                                                               
board into statute. It would  not require additional general fund                                                               
monies. He  emphasized that  a dedicated  staff member  who knows                                                               
the business  of guiding in  Alaska would improve  the efficiency                                                               
of the Big  Game Commercial Services Board in  carrying out their                                                               
duties.  The board  handles  hunting  guide licensing  functions,                                                               
administering   board   meetings,   assisting  the   board   with                                                               
maintaining and  writing exams, generating reports  and assisting                                                               
the Department  of Commerce,  Community and  Economic Development                                                               
investigative  services.  Also,  they assist  the  Department  of                                                               
Public Safety  with their game violation  investigations. He said                                                               
the  executive administrator  position  was  currently and  would                                                               
continue  to be  paid  for using  designated  general funds  from                                                               
guide  licensing  fees.  Senate   Bill  29  simply  codifies  the                                                               
Executive Administrator position and its range in statute.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
4:03:43 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR GIESSEL announced public testimony on SB 29.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
4:04:05 PM                                                                                                                    
SAM  ROHRER, President,  Alaska Professional  Hunters Association                                                               
(APHA),  Kodiak, Alaska,  provided  invited testimony  on SB  29,                                                               
which  proposed  the  creation   of  an  Executive  Administrator                                                               
position for the  Big Game Commercial Services Board.  He said SB
 would  ensure the program's effective  regulation by providing                                                               
long-term,  industry-specific   staff.  He   highlighted  current                                                               
challenges, including  the transient nature of  license examiners                                                               
and the  resulting lack of  expertise, which created  burdens for                                                               
volunteer board  members. He  urged the  legislature to  pass the                                                               
bill  to   address  these  issues  and   maintain  the  program's                                                               
integrity.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
4:06:00 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR GIESSEL said the testimony by  Mr. Rohrer and Mr. Bunch was                                                               
invited testimony rather than public testimony.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
4:06:09 PM                                                                                                                    
JASON  BUNCH,  Professional   Hunter,  Kodiak,  Alaska,  provided                                                               
invited  testimony on  SB 29.  He  referred to  his testimony  in                                                               
favor  of SB  29 on  February  3, 2025  and said  he had  nothing                                                               
further to add. He said he was available to answer questions.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
4:06:44 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR GIESSEL  asked how long  Mr. Bunch  had served on  the [Big                                                               
Game Commercial Services] Board.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
MR.  BUNCH  said he  served  on  the  board  from 2018  to  2024,                                                               
approximately six years.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
4:07:02 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR  GIESSEL  noted  that the  [Big  Game  Commercial  Services                                                               
Board]  had a  history  of  being behind  in  their funding.  She                                                               
recalled  a $1  million deficit.  She  noted that  the board  was                                                               
currently solvent and asked how they arrived at solvency.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
4:07:29 PM                                                                                                                    
MR.  BUNCH noted  that  the  board worked  with  the division  to                                                               
discern  that  the  administrative  burden was  in  entering  and                                                               
processing hunt  records, transporter activity  reports, renewing                                                               
guide  licenses, guide  use, and  area registrations  required by                                                               
statute. He said a $300  annual administrative fee was applied to                                                               
all contracting guides  and it did not take very  long to get out                                                               
of debt  and achieve a good  financial position. He said  in 2024                                                               
the board eliminated  the $300 annual filing  fee for contracting                                                               
guides, and  also lowered the  assistant guide license  [fee]. He                                                               
said the  board was in good  fiscal position to take  care of any                                                               
burdensome investigative  processes, and account for  the cost of                                                               
the Executive Administrator without increasing licensing fees.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
4:09:34 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR  GIESSEL  summarized  that  the board  and  the  profession                                                               
assumed the  financial responsibility for the  cost of regulating                                                               
themselves and  succeeded in  paying those costs  as well  as the                                                               
arrears.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
4:09:55 PM                                                                                                                    
MR. BUNCH affirmed the summary.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
4:10:14 PM                                                                                                                    
AARON BLOOMQUIST,  Chairman, Big Game Commercial  Services Board,                                                               
Palmer,  Alaska,   provided  invited  testimony  on   SB  29.  He                                                               
described  the   negative  impact   of  Department   of  Commerce                                                               
regulations  on the  board operations,  and said  it slowed  them                                                               
down and  delayed projects for  years. He urged the  committee to                                                               
pass SB 29 and offered to answer questions.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
4:12:53 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR GIESSEL closed invited testimony on SB 29.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
4:13:01 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR GIESSEL solicited the will of the committee.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
4:13:05 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  WIELECHOWSKI  moved to  report  SB  29, work  order  34-                                                               
LS0287\A,  from  committee  with individual  recommendations  and                                                               
attached fiscal note(s).                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
4:13:22 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR GIESSEL found no objection and  SB 29 was reported from the                                                               
Senate Resources Standing Committee.