Legislature(2023 - 2024)BUTROVICH 205

04/08/2024 03:30 PM Senate RESOURCES

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* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+= SB 164 STATE PARK PERMITS FOR DISABLED VETERANS TELECONFERENCED
Moved CSSB 164(RES) Out of Committee
*+ SB 253 DNR BIG GAME HUNTING PRGRM/PILOT PROJECT TELECONFERENCED
Heard & Held
-- Testimony <Invitation Only> --
*+ SB 248 BIG GAME COMMERCIAL SERVICES BOARD TELECONFERENCED
Heard & Held
-- Testimony <Invitation Only> --
+ Bills Previously Heard/Scheduled TELECONFERENCED
**Streamed live on AKL.tv**
           SB 248-BIG GAME COMMERCIAL SERVICES BOARD                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
4:47:26 PM                                                                                                                    
CO-CHAIR  BISHOP announced  the consideration  of SENATE  BILL NO.                                                              
248 "An  Act relating  to an executive  administrator for  the Big                                                              
Game Commercial Services Board."                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
4:47:55 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  JESSE BJORKMAN,  District  D, Alaska  State  Legislature,                                                              
Juneau,  Alaska,  noted  that  the  board  is  highly  active  and                                                              
performs  its  duties  well but  requires  additional  support  to                                                              
function  efficiently.  Currently,  the board  shares  staff  with                                                              
marine pilots,  which creates  challenges. The proposed  Executive                                                              
Administrator   would  be   dedicated  to   the  board,   bringing                                                              
expertise  in  Alaska's  guiding industry  to  process  paperwork,                                                              
complaints, applications,  and other  specialized tasks  unique to                                                              
big game  commercial services.  He likened  the necessity  of this                                                              
role  to  the  expertise  provided by  seasoned  guides  in  their                                                              
specific areas,  such as the  Roher family, who  are well-regarded                                                              
for their  knowledge and commitment  in Alaska. He  emphasized the                                                              
importance  of  having  a dedicated  professional  to  ensure  the                                                              
board can effectively  fulfill its mission, much like  how a guide                                                              
provides  invaluable local  knowledge to  their clients.  He noted                                                              
that  the position  was previously  included  in the  budget as  a                                                              
one-time item, and  SB 248 seeks to make it a  permanent statutory                                                              
role to ensure ongoing support for the board's operations.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
[Original punctuation provided.]                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
                        SENATE BILL 248                                                                                       
                       SPONSOR STATEMENT                                                                                      
               Big Game Commercial Services Board                                                                             
                                                                                                                              
     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.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
4:50:59 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  KAWASAKI asked  for clarification  regarding the  current                                                              
arrangement in  which the Board  Administrator is shared  with the                                                              
marine pilots.  He inquired  about the  role and functionality  of                                                              
an  Executive Administrator  in  the  current setup,  noting  that                                                              
this question might  be better addressed by Sylvan  Robb, Director                                                              
at the  State of  Alaska, Division  of Corporations, Business  and                                                              
Professional  Licensing,  who  could  provide  insights  into  the                                                              
operations of  various boards and  commissions. He  wondered about                                                              
the workload  handled by  the Big  Game Commercial Services  Board                                                              
compared  to other boards  or commissions.  He questioned  whether                                                              
the  board processes  a relatively  small  number of  transactions                                                              
per  day compared  to  others,  which might  handle  significantly                                                              
more.  He asked  why  this board  warrants  a dedicated  Executive                                                              
Administrator, and  why similar roles  might not be  justified for                                                              
other boards or commissions.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
4:51:54 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR BJORKMAN  stated that he would provide  some initial input                                                              
on the  matter but encouraged  the group  to also hear  from Chair                                                              
Bunch  and  Director Robb.  He  emphasized  the unique  nature  of                                                              
guiding  and   the  specific   regulations  governing   the  guide                                                              
industry.  He  explained  that  the most  critical  need  for  the                                                              
Executive Administrator  position is for someone who  is an expert                                                              
in these  regulations and  statutes. This  expertise is  essential                                                              
because the role  may also involve investigative  duties at times.                                                              
He reiterated  that the position  deserves its own  dedicated role                                                              
due to the complexity of the guide industry.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
4:52:55 PM                                                                                                                    
SYLVAN  ROBB, Director,  Division  of Corporations,  Business  and                                                              
Professional  Licensing, Department  of  Commerce, Community,  and                                                              
Economic  Development (DCCED),  answered questions  related  to SB
248.  She   explained  that  there   are  already   six  Executive                                                              
Administrators  for  other  boards,  as  well as  a  Marine  Pilot                                                              
Coordinator  who is  currently  providing  part-time staffing  for                                                              
the  Beginning  Commercial  Services Board.  She  highlighted  the                                                              
need for  an Executive  Administrator  for this  board due  to the                                                              
large  volume of  work and  the unique  nature of  the tasks.  The                                                              
board administers  29 different examinations, including  those for                                                              
game management  units and licensing requirements.  The board also                                                              
works  to keep  these exams  current and  score them,  which is  a                                                              
significant  amount of  work. In  addition,  licensees under  this                                                              
board  have  reporting  requirements, such  as  submitting  health                                                              
records and  activity reports,  which adds  to the workload.  This                                                              
board also  oversees transporters,  further increasing  the amount                                                              
of work  involved. The need for  an Executive Administrator  is to                                                              
provide  professional-level  support   for  these  complex  tasks,                                                              
which go beyond  the capabilities of the Marine  Pilot program and                                                              
require a higher level of board support.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                              
4:55:04 PM                                                                                                                  
CO-CHAIR  BISHOP asked  Mr.  Bunch whether  he  believes that  the                                                              
proposed position under SB 248 is warranted.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                              
4:55:14 PM                                                                                                                    
MR.  BUNCH  discussed  the  challenges  of  serving  on  a  board,                                                              
particularly  the Guide Board,  where members  often have  limited                                                              
knowledge  and must rely  on each  other to  fill in gaps.  Within                                                              
the  Guide  Board,  the  two  guides  and  two  transporters  work                                                              
closely  with  the  division,  while the  public  seats  and  game                                                              
representatives  provide checks and  balances. However,  with only                                                              
two  guides and  two transporters,  it  can be  difficult to  know                                                              
everything, which  is why the Executive Administrator  position is                                                              
so   crucial.   This   position   provides   consistent   support,                                                              
understanding  the history  and complex  statutes and  regulations                                                              
of  the  guide  industry,  which are  reportedly  among  the  most                                                              
complicated. He pointed  out that the current position  of License                                                              
Examiner, which  was created two  years ago, was a  low-paying job                                                              
filled   by  people   without  knowledge   of   the  statutes   or                                                              
regulations. This  role was essentially a steppingstone  for other                                                              
state  jobs, leading  to frequent  turnover. Over  the five  and a                                                              
half  years   he  served,  he   personally  trained   six  License                                                              
Examiners,  despite   his  own  limited  knowledge,   which  added                                                              
considerable  strain.  He emphasized  the  need for  an  Executive                                                              
Administrator  with expertise to  prevent further inadequacies  in                                                              
the program,  as highlighted in  board audits. After  borrowing an                                                              
Executive Administrator  from the Marine Pilot Program,  the board                                                              
saw improvements  in efficiency and accuracy. However,  the Marine                                                              
Pilot   Program   is  now   overburdened,   with   its   Executive                                                              
Administrator  stretched  too thin,  so it's  time  for the  Guide                                                              
Board to have its own dedicated Executive Administrator.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
4:59:42 PM                                                                                                                    
CO-CHAIR BISHOP held SB 248 in committee.                                                                                       

Document Name Date/Time Subjects
SB 164 Public Testimony as of 04.05.24.pdf SRES 4/8/2024 3:30:00 PM
SB 164
SB 248 Sponsor Statement Ver. B.pdf SRES 4/8/2024 3:30:00 PM
SB 248
SB 248 Ver. B.pdf SRES 4/8/2024 3:30:00 PM
SB 248
SB 248 Sectional Analysis Ver. B.pdf SRES 4/8/2024 3:30:00 PM
SB 248
SB 248 Support Document 2023 Sunset Review Audit of the Big Game Commercial Services Board.pdf SRES 4/8/2024 3:30:00 PM
SB 248
SB 248 Support Document BGCSB Meeting Minutes 12.04-06.23.pdf SRES 4/8/2024 3:30:00 PM
SB 248
SB 248 Support Document SFSC DCCED Department Budget Overview pg 17 02.28.2024.pdf SRES 4/8/2024 3:30:00 PM
SB 248
SB 248 Support Letter Big Game Commercial Services Board.pdf SRES 4/8/2024 3:30:00 PM
SB 248
SB 248 Fiscal Note DCCED 04.08.24.pdf SRES 4/8/2024 3:30:00 PM
SB 248
SB 253 Sponsor Statement 4.5.24.pdf SRES 4/8/2024 3:30:00 PM
SB 253
SB 253 Fiscal Note ADFG 04.08.24.pdf SRES 4/8/2024 3:30:00 PM
SB 253
SB 253 Fiscal Note DNR 04.08.24.pdf SRES 4/8/2024 3:30:00 PM
SB 253
SB 253 Supporting Document GCP Workgroup Summary 11.30.23.pdf SRES 4/8/2024 3:30:00 PM
SB 253
SB 253 Supporting Document Guiding Industry Economic Impacts Report 1.27.21.pdf SRES 4/8/2024 3:30:00 PM
SB 253
SB 253 Supporting Document Owsichek v. Guide Licensing & Control Bd. 10.21.1988.pdf SRES 4/8/2024 3:30:00 PM
SB 253
SB 253 Supporting Document Historical Board of Game Letters 2008 & 2018.pdf SRES 4/8/2024 3:30:00 PM
SB 253
SB 253 Letters of Support Recieved as of 4.5.24.pdf SRES 4/8/2024 3:30:00 PM
SB 253
SB 253 Sectional Analysis version B 4.5.24.pdf SRES 4/8/2024 3:30:00 PM
SB 253
SB 253 Presentation Alaska Professional Hunters Association 04.08.24.pdf SRES 4/8/2024 3:30:00 PM
SB 253
SB 164 Amendment #1.pdf SRES 4/8/2024 3:30:00 PM
SB 164
SB 164 Amendment #2.pdf SRES 4/8/2024 3:30:00 PM
SB 164