HB 344-SALMON PRODUCT DEVELOP. TAX CREDIT  10:21:12 AM CHAIR EDGMON announced that the first order of business would be HOUSE BILL NO. 344, "An Act relating to the salmon product development tax credit; and providing for an effective date by amending an effective date in sec. 7, ch. 57, SLA 2003, as amended by sec. 4, ch. 3, SLA 2006, and by sec. 4, ch. 8, SLA 2008." 10:21:28 AM REPRESENTATIVE KELLER moved to adopt CSHB 344, 26-LS1473\R, Kane 2/22/10, as the working document. CHAIR EDGMON, hearing no objection, announced Version R was before the committee. 10:22:11 AM TIM CLARK, Staff, Representative Bryce Edgmon, Alaska State Legislature, explained that CSHB 344, Version R, includes ice making equipment as a major means to accomplish value-added processing; page 2, line 7, sub-subparagraph (i). He said the value-added processes that have most increased the worth of salmon catches depend on high quality harvest. With a greater proportion of high quality fish, more can be directed to the value-added processes. Ice is essential to significantly increasing the percentage of number 1 grade fish from the harvest. Adding ice making equipment to the list of qualified investments under the products development tax credit would result in a significantly larger quantity of quality salmon and increase the proportion of value-added processing. 10:23:40 AM PETER ECKLUND, Staff, Representative William "Bill" Thomas, Jr., Alaska State Legislature, stated sponsor support for Version R. 10:23:59 AM REPRESENTATIVE JOHNSON asked if the only change to the bill is the inclusion of ice making equipment. CHAIR EDGMON said yes. 10:24:40 AM REPRESENTATIVE MUNOZ moved to report CSHB 344, Version 26- LS1473\R, Kane, 2/22/10, out of committee with individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal notes. Hearing no objection, CSHB 344(FSH) moved out of the House Special Committee on Fisheries. 10:25:34 AM The committee recessed to a call of the chair.