03/20/2014 01:30 PM Senate LABOR & COMMERCE

          SB 190-DELEGATION OF GUIDE-OUTFITTER DUTIES                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
2:07:23 PM                                                                                                                    
VICE-CHAIR MICCICHE  announced the  consideration of  SB 190."An                                                               
Act  permitting  a  guide-outfitter  to  delegate  certain  guide                                                               
services  to  a person  who  is  not  licensed  by the  Big  Game                                                               
Commercial  Services  Board." This  was  the  second hearing.  He                                                               
noted the new committee substitute (CS), Version N.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
2:07:55 PM                                                                                                                    
GARY  ZEPP,   Staff,  Senator   Charlie  Huggins,   Alaska  State                                                               
Legislature,   Juneau,  Alaska   said   the  proposed   committee                                                               
substitute  (CS)  for SB  190  addresses  the concerns  expressed                                                               
about delegating  guide services to unlicensed  personnel and the                                                               
unintended  consequences  of  using   the  term  "delegate."  The                                                               
changes  resulted in  a  title  change, but  the  concept of  the                                                               
original bill was not changed.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
2:08:20 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR STEDMAN  moved to  adopt the  work draft  CS for  SB 190,                                                               
labeled 28-LS1466\N,  as the working  document. He  then objected                                                               
for purposes of an explanation.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
MR.  ZEPP deferred  to  Thor  Stacy to  describe  the changes  in                                                               
detail.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
2:09:00 PM                                                                                                                    
THOR  STACEY, Lobbyist,  Alaska Professional  Hunters Association                                                               
(APHA), Juneau,  Alaska, stated that  APHA strongly  supports the                                                               
concept of  SB 190  and believes the  CS provides  better wording                                                               
than the  original draft. He  explained that the bill  creates an                                                               
exemption for  duties described under  the definition  of guiding                                                               
for unlicensed persons to do packing                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR STEDMAN  asked for an  explanation of the changes  in the                                                               
CS.                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
MR. STACEY explained that in  Section 1 subsection (a) the duties                                                               
that can be  delegated were expanded to  include packing trophies                                                               
and  packing camping  equipment. The  language in  subsection (b)                                                               
was modified  to clarify  that the  unlicensed person  assists in                                                               
providing guide  service and that  an assistant guide  could also                                                               
be a mentor  in the trainee relationship. On page  2 the language                                                               
relating to  being licensed  in a  specific game  management unit                                                               
was deleted because it doesn't apply to assistant guides.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
2:11:55 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR STEDMAN removed his objection.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
VICE  CHAIR MICCICHE  found no  further  objection and  announced                                                               
that Version N was adopted.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
MR. ZEPP  said the CS doesn't  change the intent of  the original                                                               
bill  to  allow unlicensed  personnel  to  perform certain  guide                                                               
service tasks for compensation.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR OLSON asked if there was opposition to the bill.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
MR. ZEPP  said no.  The CS  addressed the  only concern  that was                                                               
expressed.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  OLSON asked  if  the bill  had  unanimous support  among                                                               
guides.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
MR. STACEY  replied the guides  unanimously agree about  the need                                                               
for packers.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
2:13:58 PM                                                                                                                    
VICE CHAIR MICCICHE opened public testimony.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CAPTAIN  BERNARD CHASTAIN,  Alaska Wildlife  Troopers, Department                                                               
of Public  Safety, Anchorage,  Alaska, said  he was  available to                                                               
answer question.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  OLSON asked  for assurance  that he  wouldn't hear  from                                                               
guides in his  area who were being harassed  by wildlife troopers                                                               
about packers.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
CAPTAIN  CHASTAIN confirmed  that  the bill  would alleviate  the                                                               
issue the Troopers have had with packers.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR OLSON asked if there was any gray area.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
CAPTAIN CHASTAIN  said the bill  makes it very clear  what duties                                                               
can  and   cannot  be  conducted   by  licensed   and  unlicensed                                                               
personnel.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
2:15:59 PM                                                                                                                    
JOE WANT,  representing himself,  Fairbanks, Alaska,  stated that                                                               
his  concerns about  not being  able to  delegate authority  were                                                               
ameliorated. The only remaining concern  was to make certain that                                                               
the use  of the term "delegate"  on page 1, line  7, didn't cause                                                               
problems.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
VICE CHAIR  MICCICHE closed public testimony.  Finding no further                                                               
questions, he solicited a motion.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
2:17:07 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR STEDMAN  moved to report CS  for SB 190, Version  N, from                                                               
committee  with individual  recommendations  and attached  fiscal                                                               
note(s).                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
VICE  CHAIR  MICCICHE  announced   that  without  objection  CSSB
(L&C)  was   reported  from  the   Senate  Labor   &  Commerce                                                               
Committee.