HB 93-RESIDENCY REQ: HUNTING, TRAPPING, FISHING  2:06:00 PM CO-CHAIR BURKE announced that the next order of business would be HOUSE BILL NO. 93, "An Act changing the residency requirements for hunting, trapping, and sport fishing privileges; and providing for an effective date." 2:06:20 PM CO-CHAIR BURKE opened public testimony on HB 93 2:06:46 PM DAVID EGELSTON, representing self, stated that he strongly supported HB 93, explaining that it would tighten up the loopholes that allow possibly thousands of people to improperly claim residency in Alaska. Communities in Southeast Alaska see people come from out of state and buy property, get a post office box, and call it a permanent residence so they can run subsistence long lines for halibut, net fish, and hunt big game, taking advantage of the more liberal bag limits for Alaska residents. In one community on Prince of Wales Island, he estimated these "fake residents" to be almost 50 percent. If these people were to buy non-resident licenses, the ADF&G revenue would be greatly increased, and fish and game populations would be more available to Alaska residents. He pointed out that rural subsistence users struggle to deal with the effects of climate change, and limiting the take of these non-residents would leave more animals and fish for subsistence use. 2:09:17 PM NICHOLAS ORR, representing self, provided background regarding permits of federally qualified hunters, characterizing it as a rural versus urban issue. He summarized the federal system and the state system as it pertained to hunting and fishing. He also expressed his opinion that there was some small town settling of scores involved with this legislation. He answered questions from Representative Saddler and Representative Fields regarding the definition of federally qualified status and whether the organizations he is associated with support the bill. 2:15:36 PM JEN LEAHY, representing self, expressed support for HB 93. She explained that her family relies on fish and wildlife resources for subsistence and personal use. She described the changes she and her partner have seen over the past 20 years in terms of decreased abundance and increased competition for resources. She stated her belief that the best way to avoid user conflicts is to ensure that the harvest limits allowed for Alaskans are being utilized only by Alaska residents. She saw HB 93 as a tool for corrective action, pointing out that the definition of residency was too broad and difficult to enforce, but the legislation would create additional barriers for non-residents. She said she valued the role that non-residents hunters and anglers play in the outdoor recreation economy but supported using the PFD requirement as a means of defining residency. 2:19:00 PM CO-CHAIR BURKE, after ascertaining there was no one else who wished to testify, closed public testimony. 2:19:18 PM REPRESENTATIVE RAUSCHER moved to adopt Amendment 1 to HB 93, labeled 34-LS0058\N.2, Bullard, 3/17/25, which read as follows: Page 2, line 2: Delete "was absent only" Insert "(A) was absent"    Page 2, line 3, following "AS 43.23.008;": Insert "or  (B) holds a permanent identification card  issued under AS 16.05.400(b) and was absent providing  care for a family member who is ill;" Page 2, line 15: Delete "was absent only" Insert "(A) was absent"   Page 2, line 16, following "AS 43.23.008;": Insert "or (B) holds a permanent identification card  issued under AS 16.05.400(b) and was absent providing  care for a family member who is ill;" 2:19:26 PM CO-CHAIR BURKE objected for the purposes of discussion. 2:19:35 PM REPRESENTATIVE RAUSCHER explained that Amendment 1 would add an allowance to the PFD exemption list that would permit an individual to exceed the 90- or 45-day extension if the absence was for the purpose of providing care to a family member who was ill. 2:23:07 PM REPRESENTATIVE RAUSCHER responded to concerns expressed by Representative Saddler and Representative Mears regarding what they perceived as the meaning of "ill" and "providing care" to be too vague. On the issue of how to calculate the number of allowable days, he explained the primary purpose was to close a loophole. Regarding a related concern, he explained it is not about setting a clock but rather says an individual has met the reason for being exempt. 2:26:28 PM REPRESENTATIVE HIMSCHOOT, Alaska State Legislature, addressed the concerns raised by committee members and described the excused absences defined by the PFD statute. She suggested that for the handful of people not covered by the PFD language, a change in the dividend statute would ensure that HB 93 aligned with the PFD statute. She reminded the committee that the bill had a full year before its effective date to allow people to maintain their residency. 2:28:44 PM CO-CHAIR BURKE maintained her objection. 2:28:52 PM A roll call vote was taken. Representatives Coulombe, Rauscher, Saddler, and Elam voted in favor of Amendment 1 to HB 93. Representatives Fields, Hall, Mears, Dibert, and Burke voted against it. Therefore, Amendment 1 failed to be adopted by a vote of 5-4. 2:29:33 PM REPRESENTATIVE DIBERT moved to report HB 93, work order 34- LS0058\N out of committee with individual recommendations and the attached zero fiscal note. 2:29:51 PM The committee took an at-ease from 2:29 p.m. to 2:31 p.m. 2:31:08 PM REPRESENTATIVE COULOMBE objected for the purpose of discussion. She pointed out that an application for a permit requires extensive answers to questions, and she did not understand why the wildlife troopers would question the permit in the field. She followed that question by asking whether the questions on the application would change if this bill was adopted, and if so, would the wildlife troopers stop questioning the validity of permits. 2:32:23 PM REPRESENTATIVE HIMSCHOOT explained that spot checking includes determining whether a person has a license and also determining whether a person is under resident or non-resident rules. 2:33:17 PM THATCHER BROUWER, Staff, Representative Himschoot, Alaska State Legislature, clarified that with a regular fish and game license or a trapping license, the applicant self-certifies. The application has a series of questions, and the troopers would ensure that a person was honest when they filled out the application. 2:34:00 PM REPRESENTATIVE HIMSCHOOT responded to Representative Coulombe's question regarding how to determine whether a license-holder was honest. She explained that the troopers asked a number of questions including the license-holder's domicile, and if the troopers suspected a problem, they would follow up on-line. 2:34:50 PM BRYAN BARLOW, COLONEL, Director, Alaska Wildlife Troopers, Department of Public Safety, answered questions regarding hunting, fishing, and trapping license certification. In response to questions posed by Representative Coulombe, he explained that the licenses were applied for and received from ADF&G. It was assumed that the information received is accurate, and the license is issued based on that information. It has been common for the troopers to contact license-holders in the field and ask questions as part of normal enforcement efforts. Verifying residency is part of the process, and if issues come up during the conversations, the department follows up later and might initiate a residency investigation. Otherwise, the wildlife troopers have been dependent on tips or information coming from other entities. Such investigations are very time intensive. Because the licenses are issued by ADF&G, the Department of Public Safety is not part of the verification process. In addition, troopers in the field may see cues or factors that indicate a person who claims a residence license might not be a resident, and the department will follow up. 2:38:45 PM REPRESENTATIVE HIMSCHOOT pointed out that licenses are mostly online now, but they are also sold in convenience stores and on board charter boats so that they are convenient for to purchase. 2:40:00 PM COLONEL BARLOW responded to a question from Representative Coulombe regarding the number of residency investigations they conducted, explaining that they conducted approximately 118 residency investigations a year. He explained that he did not have the information at that time regarding how many of those were "forever licenses." 2:40:31 PM COLONEL BARLOW addressed a question posed by Representative Rauscher by explaining that the troopers would assume a license is legitimate and has been obtained legitimately until they received or encountered cues, information, or statements that led them to believe that might not be the case. Then there would be a residency investigation which weighs factors from multiple sources and databases. Unless a trooper finds information on-scene that shows the license-holder is not an Alaska resident, that individual could continue to hunt, fish, or trap until the residency investigation is complete. 2:44:46 PM COLONEL BARLOW, in response to a question from Representative Mears, explained that although the department was neutral on this legislation, the proposed law would make determining residency more succinct. 2:47:35 PM REPRESENTATIVE COULOMBE explained that she did not support the bill but removed her objection. 2:48:12 PM CO-CHAIR BURKE announced that there being no objection, HB 93 was reported out of committee.