HB 31-VESSELS: REGISTRATION/DERELICT FUND    10:07:44 AM CHAIR STUTES announced that the final order of business would be HOUSE BILL NO. 31, "An Act relating to the registration of commercial vessels; and relating to the derelict vessel prevention program fund." 10:08:15 AM MATT GRUENING, Staff, Representative Louise Stutes, Alaska State Legislature, on behalf of Representative Stutes, prime sponsor, gave a recap of HB 31. He explained that HB 31 would exempt active commercial fishing vessels from duplicative registration requirements created by the passage of Senate Bill 92 during the Thirtieth Alaska State Legislature in 2018. He noted that it would specifically remove the requirement for U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) vessels with a current Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission (CFEC) registration to register every three years with the Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV). Prior to the passage of Senate Bill 92, these documented vessels were already exempt. He remarked that because of a bill that was repealed, overlooked was the CFEC database which already provides ownership information. The intent of the bill is not having commercial fisherman register with the DMV when pre-existing registration processes are already in place. Also in its current form, HB 31 would repeal the derelict vessel program fund and moves it into the general fund (GF) instead. 10:09:40 AM REPRESENTATIVE KOPP remarked that HB 31 was good common-sense legislation, and he was happy to see it brought forward. 10:10:05 AM CHAIR STUTES opened public testimony on HB 31. 10:10:33 AM RACHAEL LORD, representing self, testified in support of HB 31. She said that she helped facilitate the Abandoned and Derelict Vessel Taskforce that worked with stakeholders to pass the original bill in which this provision was included. She fully supported the CFEC exemption, and it has support from other stakeholders. She remarked that the federal documented database is still a barrier to track and hold vessel owners responsible and that CFEC is a great database. She said that she was disappointed in the repeal of the derelict vessel program fund and that every state that deals with derelict vessels understands that the best method to address them is with prevention measures. She stated that she understood that there is not much money in that fund or opportunities to recapture costs. She said that the state continues to be flat-footed to address the prevention of derelict vessels. 10:13:21 AM CHAIR STUTES, after ascertaining there was no one else who wished to testify, closed public testimony on HB 31. CHAIR STUTES, there being no comments of concern from committee members, entertained a motion on HB 31. 10:13:40 AM REPRESENTATIVE EDGMON moved to report HB 31 out of committee with individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal notes. There being no objection, HB 31 was reported out of the House Special Committee on Fisheries.