HB 229-BIG GAME COMMERCIAL SERVICES BOARD  1:31:27 PM CO-CHAIR FEIGE announced that the next order of business would be HOUSE BILL NO. 229, "An Act relating to activities, including violations and penalties, under the supervision of the Big Game Commercial Services Board." [Before the committee was the proposed committee substitute (CS), Version I, labeled 27- LS0764\I, Bullard, 2/13/12, adopted on 2/16/12 as the working document.] MICHAEL PASCHALL, Staff, Representative Eric Feige, Alaska State Legislature, on behalf of Representative Feige, prime sponsor, stated that he did not need to add anything more about the bill unless there were questions. He offered his belief that a committee member would be proposing an amendment. CO-CHAIR FEIGE closed public testimony after ascertaining that no one wished to testify. 1:33:08 PM CO-CHAIR SEATON moved to adopt Amendment 1, labeled 27- SL0764\I.1, Bullard, 2/16/12, which read [original punctuation provided]: Page 2, lines 25 - 27: Delete "hunt is being conducted by a class-A assistant guide or a registered guide-outfitter employed by the contracting registered guide- outfitter" Insert "board adopts regulations permitting [HUNT IS BEING CONDUCTED BY] a class-A assistant guide or a registered guide-outfitter employed by a [THE] contracting registered guide-outfitter to conduct a  hunt for a contracting registered guide-outfitter" CO-CHAIR FEIGE objected for purposes of discussion. 1:33:26 PM CO-CHAIR SEATON explained that in public testimony [on 2/15/12] a big game services guide and a guiding organization wanted to ensure that supervision and participation were not weakened, but that conducting a hunt could be allowed. Amendment 1 would allow the Big Game Commercial Services Board to pass regulations to allow a class-A assistant guide or a registered guide- outfitter employed by the contracting guide to conduct a hunt. The difference between conducting a hunt was supervising a camp, so it would not take the place of in-the-field supervision and participating in the contracted hunt. It was requested that the Big Game Commercial Services Board be able to pass regulations to allow that, but not specify in statute in taking away the authority of the board to pass those. 1:35:03 PM CO-CHAIR SEATON stated that subsection (e) on page 2, lines 21- 27, would read as follows under the proposed amendment: A registered guide-outfitter who contracts for a guided hunt shall be in the field supervising and participating in the contracted hunt and conducting the hunt, unless the board adopts regulations permitting a class-A assistant guide or registered guide-outfitter employed by [a] contracting registered guide-outfitter to conduct a hunt for a contracting registered guide-outfitter. CO-CHAIR SEATON reiterated that the purpose of Amendment 1 and the legislative intent is to allow the board to pass regulations on conducting a hunt in the field, but not exclude supervision and participation by the registered guide-outfitter, which was something that everyone wanted to make sure was retained to preclude someone from being able to supervise a hunt from out of state and not participating in the field. 1:37:04 PM CO-CHAIR FEIGE inquired whether Amendment 1 would allow for assistant guides to be the guide for an individual hunter. He surmised the assistant guide had to be class-A. CO-CHAIR SEATON confirmed that the assistant guide would have to be a class-A assistant guide. He offered his understanding that a fairly low qualification is required for an assistant guide. He said the original bill specified that a class-A assistant guide or registered guide-outfitter could be employed to conduct the hunt. Conducting the hunt entails supervising a camp, being the person in charge, being at least 21 years old, and having some experience; whereas an assistant guide can be as young as 18 and have very little experience. Under the regulations, an assistant guide must be 18 years or older and have legally hunted for two years in the state, but specifically may not take charge of a camp or provide guide services unless contracting with a registered guide. 1:39:37 PM CO-CHAIR FEIGE said he does not want to unnecessarily put anyone out of work. He asked whether an assistant guide is what is commonly referred to as a packer. THOR STACEY, Alaska Professional Hunters Association (APHA), replied that the assistant guide can accompany a hunter in the field, but cannot conduct or supervise a camp. He offered his understanding that it is not the intent of Amendment 1 to infringe or restrict the abilities of an assistant guide or do away with that license. Amendment 1 would give the Big Game Commercial Services Board the ability to adopt meaningful regulations on the supervision or of conducting a hunt by a registered guide or the contracting guide. It would give the ability to approach that relationship in regulation that the only licenses that can supervise a camp would be a registered guide or a class-A assistant guide employed by a registered guide. He further understood that an assistant guide could accompany a hunter in the field legally for paid service in the employment of a registered guide, but could not supervise a camp or conduct the hunt. He added that there are definitions for supervise and conduct. He said APHA would support Amendment 1 as put forward and would especially support the language that gives the board specific statutory power to approach supervision in the field. 1:41:49 PM CO-CHAIR FEIGE removed his objection to Amendment 1. There being no further objection, Amendment 1 was adopted. REPRESENTATIVE KAWASAKI noted that he does not have much problem with the bill and its language, but asked why the bill came before this committee rather than the House Labor and Commerce Standing Committee since it deals with occupational licensing. CO-CHAIR FEIGE replied that the Speaker of the House assigns where the bills go. CO-CHAIR SEATON moved to report the proposed committee (CS) for HB 229, version 27-LS0764\I, Bullard, 2/13/12, as amended, out of committee with individual recommendations and the accompanying [zero] fiscal notes. There being no objection, CSHB 229(RES) was reported from the House Resources Standing Committee.