04/15/2002 09:05 AM House RLS

HB 508-DIVE FISHERY ASSOCIATIONS/PSP REPORTS                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR KOTT  announced that  the next order  of business  would be                                                               
HOUSE BILL  NO. 508, "An  Act relating to publication  of results                                                               
of testing  for paralytic shellfish  poisoning by  the Department                                                               
of  Environmental  Conservation  and   to  participation  of  the                                                               
Department of  Environmental Conservation  in the  development of                                                               
operating    plans   of    qualified   regional    dive   fishery                                                               
associations."                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
Number 1023                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE DREW  SCALZI, Alaska State  Legislature, testified                                                               
on behalf  of the House  Resources Standing Committee  in support                                                               
of the  "House Resources Subcommittee Bill  508."  Representative                                                               
Scalzi explained  that this bill  would move the dive  fishery to                                                               
the beginning of  the process when the Alaska  Department of Fish                                                               
&  Game (ADF&G)  organizes the  dive fishery  plan for  the year.                                                               
Therefore, [it allows]  for the beaches to be  set for commercial                                                               
harvest.    He  related  that  the  Department  of  Environmental                                                               
Conservation (DEC) is in support of this.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  SCALZI  informed  the  committee  that  the  dive                                                               
fishers  have requested  that the  information be  placed on  the                                                               
website in order that others can  access where the beaches may or                                                               
may not  be [ripe] for  paralytic shellfish poisoning.   However,                                                               
DEC has concerns with placing  that information on the website in                                                               
a certain  manner because the information  may be misinterpreted.                                                               
Therefore,  the proposed  committee substitute  (CS) [Version  J]                                                               
moves the  language requiring  this information  to be  posted on                                                               
the website to be moved to  the legislative intent section.  With                                                               
this   change,  the   information  will   be  accessible,   while                                                               
protected.   By posting this  information on the  Internet, money                                                               
and time is saved.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR KOTT related his understanding  that Section 1(b) of HB 508                                                               
has been shifted to intent language.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SCALZI  agreed, and  highlighted that it  was done                                                               
at the request of DEC.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Number 1230                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  KOHRING  moved to  adopt  CSHB  508, Version  22-                                                               
LS1642\J,  Utermohle, 4/8/02,  as  the working  document.   There                                                               
being no objection, Version J was before the committee.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR KOTT, upon no one  wishing to testify, the public testimony                                                               
was closed.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Number 1249                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  PORTER  moved to  report  CSHB  508, Version  22-                                                               
LS1642\J,  Utermohle, 4/8/02,  out of  committee with  individual                                                               
recommendations  and the  accompanying zero  fiscal note.   There                                                               
being no  objection, CSHB  508(RLS) was  reported from  the House                                                               
Rules Standing Committee.