HB 304-SPORT FISH SURCHARGE  10:04:02 AM CHAIR STUTES announced that the first order of business would be HOUSE BILL NO. 304,"An Act relating to the duties of the commissioner of fish and game; establishing the sport fishing angler access account; establishing the sport fishing angler access surcharge; and providing for an effective date." 10:04:32 AM REPRESENTATIVE HIMSCHOOT moved to adopt the proposed Committee Substitute (CS) to HB 304, labeled 34-LS1375\G, Bullard, 2/24/26. 10:04:45 AM CHAIR STUTES objected for the purpose of discussion. 10:05:06 AM JANE PIERSON, Staff, Representative Louise Stutes, Alaska State Legislature, on behalf of the House Special Committee on Fisheries, presented the CS to HB 304. She explained that there were a few changes from Version I to Version G. The changes can be explained as follows [original punctuation provided]: Sec. 2 - AS 16.05.050 (c) (Page 1, Lines 12-13) The biennial report has been changed to a report every four years. Sec. 3 AS 16.05.130 (i) (Page 1, Line 14 Page 2, Lines 1-10) Changes how monies in the sports fishing angler access account shall be disseminated. First to produce the report, with the remainder to be allocated to programs intended to directly benefit license purchasers by developing, improving, and maintaining access, facilities and other infrastructure, and services for nonmotorized sports fishing. Sec. 5 in version I AS 16.05.340(i) is removed, because version G no longer has a sunset date and the subsection is therefore no longer necessary. Sec 5 AS 16.05.340 (Page 2, Line 22- Page 3, Line 11) Changes the angler access surcharge from $1 for sportfish licenses to a specified amount for each sports fishing license type (the new scale can be found on page 3). This section still maintains that residents who are eligible for a low-income resident license or a free military license are exempt from paying a surcharge.   Sec 7 & Sec 10 in version I Are eliminated since version G no longer includes a sunset date. These two sections were in version I and were deleted from version G. Sec. 7 were the repealers for January 1, 2032, sunset date found in section 10 in version I. Sec 7 & 8 (Page 3, Lines 18-19) are conforming amendments to the effective dates in version G of HB 304. 10:07:26 AM REPRESENTATIVE MCCABE commented that he appreciates the help putting the Committee Substitute together and felt that it helps the original bill. He appreciated the sunset date being removed and felt that every four years there was a reasonable timeline for generating a report. Additionally, he felt that supporting the Sportfishing Angler Access Account was good. 10:09:01 AM REPRESENTATIVE VANCE asked about the original report in 2007 known as the "Economic Impacts and Contributions of Sportfishing in Alaska." She appreciated that a new report could be prepared every 4 years. She said that no sunset date is a little bit concerning since sunset dates give the legislature an opportunity to review processes. She asked that in 2007, whether the state still had freshwater logs to help ascertain how many fish were removed from rivers and whether this information was tied into the original report. CHAIR STUTES noted that the Department of Fish & Game (ADF&G) Commissioner, Doug Vincent-Lang, and ADF&G Legislative Liaison, Joe Felkl, were available to address these types of questions. 10:10:38 AM DOUG VINCENT-LANG, Commissioner, responded that he was not sure whether freshwater fishing logs were around in 2007. However, he noted that there was statewide harvest survey information that went into the study. He was not sure whether the saltwater logbook program was operational as well. REPRESENTATIVE VANCE said that the reason she asked is that a great report is built with great data. She said that there had been provisions in place to have data based on the sportfishing industry and currently there was no freshwater logbook program in place. She inquired how the state would build the economic report moving forward. She noted that support for the proposed legislation included future efforts to acquire data rather than rely on surveys and perceptions. She said that a dollar value needs to be tied into the fish to allow for better Board of Fisheries (BOF) decision making. COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG responded that he could follow up with information from 2007 [when the previous economic study was conducted]. He said that for the new survey, there would be statewide saltwater logbook data available. He said that while freshwater logbook data was not available, there are other ways of ascertaining information from freshwater sportfishing operations. He noted that ADF&G is in the process of updating surveys to allow for better in-season reporting. REPRESENTATIVE VANCE asked whether the freshwater sportfish charters were required to send surveys out like personal use fishery participants are required to fill out. COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG responded it depends where you operate in the state. He noted that in some places in the Kenai River, there are still some in-season assessments, whereas other areas there are no logbook requirements. He said that there used to be a requirement for freshwater logbooks, but it was ended by the legislature. 10:15:00 AM JOE FELKL, Legislative Liaison, Alaska Department of Fish & Game, said that there was an evaluation of the CS and ADF&G anticipates the generated revenue at approximately $900,000 annually. He said that this would provide the department with sufficient funds for the current Sportfishing Angler Access Program. He said that projects associated with the program include the construction of trails, fish cleaning stations, land acquisition, camping facilities, restrooms, and a variety of other amenities. CHAIR STUTES noted that the report would take priority. MR. FELKL confirmed that the economic report would take priority over these types of projects. CHAIR STUTES asked whether there was any impact on funds generated from the Dingell-Johnson Act. MR. FELKL noted that the current Sportfishing Angler Access Program uses some Dingell Johnson funds and the proposed bill would provide a dedicated revenue stream for angler access projects, allowing Dingell Johnson funds to be utilized in other areas as well. 10:17:19 AM COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG added that there is a federal mandate that 15 percent of these funds need to go into boating access projects. He said that ADF&G has struggled over the last several years regarding how the state can pay for non-boating access projects. He said that this directly competes with other Dingell Johnson funds and the proposed bill would facilitate the completion of other projects. 10:18:24 AM REPRESENTATIVE MCCABE said that he was interested to find out that in 2022 non-resident licenses amounted to 376,022 and the resident licenses amount to 259,517. He said that if someone was involved in tourism, this is the kind of data that could be sought. He noted that Representative Vance and him recently were meeting and there was a discussion of "bare boats." He said that bare boats are where there is a lodge that has dozens of boats, with no guides, therefore no logbooks. He discussed the process that someone would use a bareboat. He said that it is important that the survey covers this kind of activity, and how many bare boats were in operation. He noted that bare boat operations have irritated many Alaskans. 10:20:36 AM REPRESENTATIVE HIMSCHOOT asked for Commissioner Vincent-Lang's perspective on bare boats. COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG said that the issue of bare boat charters is a growing issue. He said that there are two points that the department would like to evaluate. One, how many bare boats are in operation and being rented. Two, what the harvest totals are coming from bare boat operations. He said that harvest totals are more difficult to ascertain since on a charter vessel, a guide is responsible for logging a catch. He said that when redesigning the harvest survey, the question would be whether someone participated in a fishery while using a bare boat. 10:21:44 AM REPRESENTATIVE VANCE asked what the intent was regarding distribution of the report. She asked about what type of format the report might take and what the intent might be. COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG responded that he would hope that ADF&G would get a report back from whatever consultant would get hired and the report would be used to develop both a paper and electronic report. He did not envision printing hundreds of copies of a large report. 10:23:12 AM The committee took an at-ease from 10:23 a.m. to 10:27 a.m. 10:27:09 AM CHAIR STUTES opened public testimony on HB 304. After ascertaining that nobody wished to testify, closed public testimony. 10:27:55 AM REPRESENTATIVE HIMSCHOOT moved to report HB 301 out of committee with individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal notes. There being no objection, CSBH 301 (FSH), Version 34- LS1375\G, Bullard, 2/24/26 was moved from the House Special Committee on Fisheries. 10:28:41 AM The committee took a brief at-ease.