04/22/2024 01:30 PM Senate FINANCE

SENATE BILL NO. 248                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
     "An Act relating to an  executive administrator for the                                                                    
     Big Game Commercial Services Board."                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
2:24:56 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
RAYMIE MATIASHOWSKI, STAFF, SENATOR JESSE BJORKMAN, read                                                                        
from the Sponsor Statement (copy on file):                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
     Senate Bill 248 adds  an executive administrator to the                                                                    
     Big  Game Commercial  Services Board.  The addition  of                                                                    
     such a  position would support  the Board as  they look                                                                    
     at  the  licenses  they oversee,  including  registered                                                                    
     guide-outfitters,    master    guide-outfitters,    and                                                                    
     transporters.  An Executive  Administrator assigned  to                                                                    
     this Board  would be  a complex  job that  requires the                                                                    
     employee  to work  with multiple  departments, generate                                                                    
     reports,  and  assist  Investigative Services  and  the                                                                    
     Department of Public Safety in investigations.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
     The  lack  of this  position  is  felt whenever  a  new                                                                    
     individual comes  in to fulfill  these responsibilities                                                                    
     as  a licensing  examiner. Being  a licensing  examiner                                                                    
     has become a bit of  a steppingstone position, and each                                                                    
     turnover  requires training  from the  ground up.  This                                                                    
     has  led  to  some   administrative  errors  that  were                                                                    
     highlighted  in the  recent audit  of the  Board. While                                                                    
     the Board  has been sharing an  executive administrator                                                                    
     with  the Board  of  Marine Pilots,  it  has not  fully                                                                    
     resolved  the issues,  as both  boards  need much  more                                                                    
     than  half of  that persons  time. This  bill seeks  to                                                                    
     address  those  issues  by providing  a  position  that                                                                    
     would  encourage consistency  in support  of the  Board                                                                    
     and its functions.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
     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.  Thank you  for your  consideration of  this                                                                    
     legislation.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
2:26:26 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
AARON BLOOMQUIST, CHAIRMAN, BIG GAME BOARD, PALMER (via                                                                         
teleconference), spoke in support of the bill.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
2:30:35 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SYLVAN   ROBB,    DIRECTOR,   DIVISION    OF   CORPORATIONS,                                                                    
PROFESSIONAL,   AND   BUSINESS  LICENSING,   DEPARTMENT   OF                                                                    
COMMERCE, COMMUNITY AND  ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, explained the                                                                    
fiscal note.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Olson OPENED and CLOSED public testimony.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
SB  248  was  HEARD  and   HELD  in  committee  for  further                                                                    
consideration.