SB 3-CFEC AS INFORMATION RESOURCE 10:20:05 AM CHAIR EDGMON announced that the first order of business would be SENATE BILL NO. 3, "An Act authorizing an Alaska regional development organization to use the Alaska Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission as an informational resource." 10:20:59 AM TIM BENINTENDI, Staff, Senator Donald Olson, Alaska State Legislature, speaking on behalf of Senator Olson, prime sponsor, explained that SB 3 would simply allow the Alaska Regional Development Organizations (ARDORs) to obtain public information from the Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission (CFEC) at no cost. This public information won't include any confidential information. The objective of SB 3 is to help with the ARDORs modest budget. He noted that the CFEC supports SB 3 and has characterized the loss of revenue as minor and of no concern. He then pointed out that the legislation has a zero fiscal note and no known opposition at this point. 10:22:28 AM REPRESENTATIVE JOHNSON inquired as to which ARDORs qualify for SB 3. MR. BENINTENDI answered that there are about 18-20 ARDORs that would qualify, of which 8 are heavily involved in the seafood industry and more likely the target of this legislation. The legislation would help in terms of planning and anticipating economic trends. However, he specified that all 18-20 ARDORs could take advantage of what's proposed in SB 3. 10:23:03 AM REPRESENTATIVE JOHNSON asked if this legislation would apply to the Fairbanks Economic Development Council, the Juneau Economic Development Council, as well as some of the rural [organizations]. MR. BENINTENDI replied yes. 10:23:19 AM CHAIR EDGMON inquired as to why this service, which he anticipated is already being provided to the ARDORs, needs to be specified in statute. MR. BENINTENDI related his understanding that the CFEC is currently providing this free service, although not universally. However, agencies are mandated to charge for certain services, such as public documents. The desire with the legislation, he explained, is to ensure that everything is being done "by the book" and thus the matter needs to be addressed in statute rather than regulation. 10:24:14 AM CHAIR EDGMON disclosed that he and Mr. Benintendi were staffers when the legislation creating the ARDORs was passed in 1992. The ARDORs have always received a small amount of funds, about $50,000, from the state. Although this legislation doesn't represent a significant amount of revenue for some of the ARDORs, for the smaller ARDORs this legislation will likely have a meaningful impact. 10:25:08 AM FRANK HOMAN, Chairman, Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission, Alaska Department of Fish & Game (ADF&G), stated support for SB 3, which he said isn't a significant revenue loss. He reiterated Mr. Benintendi's assurance that no confidential information will be disclosed based on the passage of SB 3. The CFEC, even with the passage of SB 3, will still fall under AS 16.05.815 and thus individual information from fish tickets will continue to be held confidential. Basically, SB 3 removes the charge for the data preparation. He noted that he, too, was a legislative staffer when the ARDORs were created. Of the at least a dozen ARDORs, about eight are considered coastal areas. 10:27:06 AM REPRESENTATIVE BUCH requested examples of the kinds of requests the CFEC receives beyond those that are data. MR. HOMAN informed the committee that generally the type of information requested has to do with regional fish catch levels, participation, and other specific data. In further response to Representative Buch, Mr. Homan said that the CFEC maintains an extensive web site that has information for every community in which a fish is landed. A bit more effort is required to narrow the information to regions. 10:29:03 AM CHAIR EDGMON, upon determining no one else wished to testify, closed public testimony. 10:29:38 AM REPRESENTATIVE KELLER moved to report SB 3 out of committee with individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal notes. There being no objection, it was so ordered. 10:30:07 AM The committee took an at-ease from 10:30 a.m. to 10:33 a.m.