SB 204-HUNTING PERMIT/TAG AUCTIONS/RAFFLES  3:32:34 PM CHAIR REVAK announced the consideration of SENATE BILL NO. 204 "An Act relating to auctions or raffles for hunting harvest permits and big game tags; and providing for an effective date." He solicited a motion to adopt the proposed committee substitute that reflects the desire to continue to identify the license as the "Governor's license." 3:33:14 PM SENATOR MICCICHE moved to adopt CSSB 204, work order 32- LS1391\W, as the working document. CHAIR REVAK objected for purposes of discussion. 3:33:36 PM EMMA TORKELSON, Staff, Senator Josh Revak, Alaska State Legislature, Juneau, Alaska, presented the explanation of changes between version I and version W for SB 204. [Original punctuation provided.] EXPLANATION OF CHANGES  Senate Resources CS for SB 204  Version-I to Version-W  Page 3 Lines 3-5  Changes inscription on the license back to "Governor's license" and adds language that designates the Commissioner of the Department of Fish and Game as the issuing authority of the permits. Page 4 Line 3  Removes Section 4 Subsection (h) as recent changes to regulation rendered the subsection moot. Page 4 Line 4  Replaces the Jan 1, 2023 effective date with an immediate effective date. MS. TORKELSON stated that if this bill passes, organizations will be able to conduct raffles this fall. 3:35:01 PM CHAIR REVAK withdrew his objection. Finding no further objection, CSSB 204, version W, was adopted. CHAIR REVAK asked Ms. Torkelson to provide a brief summary of the bill. 3:35:38 PM MS. TORKELSON stated that SB 204 will allow the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) to maintain sufficient funds that are critical to both the department and nonprofit organizations to support conservation and wildlife protection measures. Additionally, the increased revenue through the auction and permit license program will help the department leverage up to $18 million in new federal Pittman-Robertson funds that will be available this year for wildlife conservation and protection programs throughout the state. The immediate effective date in the committee substitute will allow these nonprofits to hold raffles for permits this year. The CS also retains the more special sounding "Governor's license" and facilitates the department in getting the licenses issued quickly once an individual has won a permit. 3:36:49 PM SENATOR STEVENS asked whether the department makes the decision about the island on which a permit holder may hunt. CHAIR REVAK directed Mr. Grasser to address the question. 3:37:25 PM EDDIE GRASSER, Director, Division of Wildlife Conservation, Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G), Anchorage, Alaska, explained that the application form for auction or raffle permits allows an organization to list the permit requests in order of preference for a species from first choice to fifth choice. Only one species may be selected, so an organization that selects Afognak elk could not apply for an elk permit in any other location. 3:37:40 PM SENATOR KAWASAKI joined the meeting. SENATOR STEVENS asked where the Etolin Island herd was located. MR. GRASSER answered that the Etolin Island herd was in Southeast Alaska, just north of Ketchikan. SENATOR STEVENS offered his understanding that the department does not select the herd that is attached to the permit. If an organization applies for and wins the raffle for an Afognak elk permit, that is where the hunt will take place. MR. GRASSER answered that is correct; an organization that is granted an elk permit on Etolin Island will get the permit for Etolin Island. 3:39:20 PM MS. TORKELSON clarified that the department is not required to make permits available if it has determined that the herd can't sustain a hunt. SENATOR STEVENS asked if someone who successfully applied for an Afognak Island permit would have the opportunity to select another location if the department determined that permits would not be issued for Afognak Island. MS. TORKELSON offered her understanding that the department would not donate a permit if it had already determined the herd could not sustain the hunt. 3:40:50 PM SENATOR MICCICHE asked whether the number of bison permits available for auction or raffle was the same in both versions of the bill. MS. TORKELSON confirmed that the number of available bison permits was the same in both version I and version W. CHAIR REVAK found no further questions or comments and solicited a motion. 3:42:31 PM SENATOR MICCICHE moved to report the CS for SB 204(RES), work order 32-LS1391\W, from committee with attached fiscal notes and individual recommendations. CHAIR REVAK found no objection and CSSB 204(RES) was reported from the Senate Resources Standing Committee.