HB 247-SPORT FISHING ENHANCEMENT SURCHARGE  5:04:46 PM CHAIR STUTES announced that the only order of business would be HOUSE BILL NO. 247, "An Act relating to the fish and game fund; establishing the sport fishing enhancement surcharge; relating to the repeal of the sport fishing facility surcharge; providing for an effective date by amending the effective date of sec. 21, chi 18, SLA 2016; and providing for an effective date." 5:05:10 PM REPRESENTATIVE KOPP moved to adopt the proposed committee substitute (CS) for HB 247, Version 31-GH2165\U, Klein, 3/16/20, as a work draft. 5:05:22 PM CHAIR STUTES objected to the motion, for the purpose of discussion. 5:05:34 PM MATT GRUENING, Staff, Representative Louise Stutes, Alaska State Legislature, presented the CS for HB 247, ("Version U"), on behalf of the House Rules Standing Committee, sponsor by request of the governor. He stated that page 1 of Version U would change the title of HB 247, by removing establishing the sport fishing enhancement surcharge; relating to the repeal of the sport fishing facility surcharge and replacing it with relating to a sport fishing surcharge. MR. GRUENING explained that in addition to the title change, Version U would make three basic changes to HB 247. The first change has to do with ADF&G allocations; it addresses the [sport fishing enhancement surcharge], which, under the original bill version would have been reduced by $5.00 [as shown on page 2, lines 26, through page 3, line 5]. Version U would change that reduction to $2.50, [as shown on page 2, line 31, through page 3, line 10]. He indicated that the amount of $2.50 was a compromise reached by the committee. MR. GRUENING said the second change would split the surcharge into two different allocations. [This change is in Section 1, on page 1, line 13, through page 2, line 5, which read as follows:]  (1) $2.50 of each surcharge collected  to fisheries management, fisheries research, invasive  species suppression and eradication, habitat  restoration, and ongoing maintenance of the  department's sport fishing facilities and sport  fishing hatcher facilities; and   (2) the remainder of each surcharge  collected to sport fishing stock enhancement and  ongoing maintenance of the department's sport fishing  hatchery facilities. MR. GRUENING explained that in the original bill version, the allocation had been restricted to: "for maintenance and  enhancement of sport fisheries". MR. GRUENING stated that the third change under Version U was the removal of the special nonresident military small game and sport fishing license, that was on [page 3, lines 3-4 of the original bill version], because ADF&G has discontinued that license. 5:07:30 PM CHAIR STUTES removed her objection to the motion to adopt the proposed committee substitute (CS) for HB 247, Version 31- GH2165\U, Klein, 3/16/20, as a work draft. There being no further objection, Version U was before the committee. 5:07:53 PM DOUG VINCENT-LANG, Commissioner, Alaska Department of Fish & Game, in response to Chair Stutes, said he had not seen the exact language of Version U but was familiar with the concepts. He expressed that the original version of HB 247 was carefully crafted by ADF&G in an attempt to reach a compromise between the commitment we had made originally when the bill went away, versus having it move forward. He expressed ADF&G's willingness to work with [the committee] to see that HB 247 moves forward. 5:08:34 PM REPRESENTATIVE TARR commented that she is fine with the compromise of a slightly reduced fee amount but thinks that, in moving forward with the financial challenges the state is facing, there will need to be opportunities for Alaskans to contribute to things that they really care about. She expressed that she would have supported keeping the fee the same and going towards department needs; however, she said that she will support the compromise that reduces the fee, and she hopes that ADF&G will continue to do good work to keep the fisheries healthy. 5:09:11 PM CHAIR STUTES remarked that its a good deal when you like it a little bit and you dont like it a little bit, which she said she thinks is the current situation. She expressed that she, her staff, and the commissioner were able to come to a compromise with which they are comfortable. 5:09:29 PM REPRESENTATIVE KOPP moved to report CSHB 247, Version 31- GH2165\U, Klein, 3/16/20, out of committee with individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal note. There being no objection, CSHB 247(FSH) was reported from the House Special Committee on Fisheries.