HB 260-FISH & GAME LICENSES;ELECTRONIC FORM                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
11:07:54 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR STUTES announced  that the next order of  business would be                                                               
HOUSE BILL NO. 260, "An  Act relating to electronic possession of                                                               
certain licenses,  tags, and identification  cards issued  by the                                                               
Department  of Fish  and  Game; and  providing  for an  effective                                                               
date."                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
11:08:23 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
KIM  SKIPPER, Staff,  Representative  Dan  Saddler, Alaska  State                                                               
Legislature, stated that  HB 260 seeks to use a  smartphone as an                                                               
electronic  device   to  display  digital  hunting   and  fishing                                                               
licenses provided the means to move forward to the digital age.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
11:09:01 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR STUTES  opened public testimony  on HB 260 and  after first                                                               
determining no one wished to  testify, closed public testimony on                                                               
HB 260.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
11:09:44 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE   CHENAULT  related   his  understanding   of  the                                                               
intention of HB 260  was to take a photo of  a hunting or fishing                                                               
license  and to  allow digital  hunting and  fishing licenses  on                                                               
smartphones and  present it to  an officer  if required to  do so                                                               
[as proof  of license].   He asked  whether this extended  to the                                                               
"OFL license," which is the  [sport fishing, hunting and trapping                                                               
identification card for senior Alaska residents].                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
MS. SKIPPER deferred to ADF&G to respond.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
11:10:38 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MORGAN  FOSS, Legislative  Liaison, Office  of the  Commissioner,                                                               
Alaska  Department   of  Fish  &  Game   (ADF&G),  responded  the                                                               
department's  interpretation was  that  the bill  was written  in                                                               
such  a way  as to  allow  permanent identification  cards to  be                                                               
displayed on electronic devices.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
11:10:56 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  EASTMAN   asked  for  further   clarification  on                                                               
overlap between this bill and SB 16 before the legislature.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
MS. SKIPPER  answered that SB  16 and  HB 129 were  omnibus bills                                                               
that included many other components  and electronic licensing was                                                               
just one.  The sponsor  decided to keep electronic ADF&G licenses                                                               
separate in this bill.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
11:11:37 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE NEUMAN  pointed out  that he was  a member  of the                                                               
National Assembly  of Sportsmen's caucus (NASC),  which discussed                                                               
the  issue of  electronic licensing  extensively and  many states                                                               
have  moved   to  electronic  display  of   licensing  to  reduce                                                               
paperwork   and  for   the  convenience   for   those  who   have                                                               
smartphones.  He asked how many  states have enacted this type of                                                               
electronic display of sport licenses.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
MS. SKIPPER was unsure of the  number of states; however, she did                                                               
know that  Virginia and  Missouri were among  them.   Some states                                                               
also allowed  electronic game "tags"  to be displayed,  but ADF&G                                                               
did not want to do so  currently, but other states were moving in                                                               
that direction.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR STUTES said the bill has been widely supported.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
11:12:30 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE EDGMON  moved to  report HB  260 out  of committee                                                               
with  individual  recommendations  and  the  accompanying  fiscal                                                               
notes.   There being no objection,  HB 260 was reported  from the                                                               
House Special Committee on Fisheries.