SENATOR COWDERY moved to place HB 390-ASMI SALMON MARKETING &  MARKETING TAX and a proposed amendment before the committee for the purpose of discussion. There being no objection, the motion carried. MS. SUE STANCLIFF, staff to Representative Maguire, sponsor, explained that HB 390 is a companion bill to SB 282. HB 390 does two things. First, the salmon marketing programs of the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI), which are scheduled to terminate on June 30, 2004, would be extended for five years. Second, it extends the salmon marketing tax, which supports ASMI activities and the domestic marketing program. That tax is scheduled to terminate in 2003; the bill extends the tax for five years. The bill also allows for international marketing. At present ASMI is restricted to domestic marketing. MR. KRISTY TIBBLES, staff to Senator Ben Stevens, sponsor of SB 282, told members that both bills are identical except for a change made to SB 282 by the Senate Finance Committee. That committee deleted a provision in the bill on page 3, lines 26-29, which extended the date to 2009 for certain activities related to the salmon marketing tax. Therefore, those activities will expire in 2004. The important part of the bill was retained, which is the extension of the tax. She then noted that Senator Cowdery had a proposed amendment to delete the same provision from HB 390. SENATOR THERRIAULT asked what activities will be curtailed by the proposed amendment. MS. TIBBLES said the activities are collecting, organizing, distributing, and making available to the public information on prices paid and market conditions for raw salmon [AS 16.51.100(7)]; and cooperating with commercial salmon fishermen, fishermen's organizations, seafood processors, and the Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation [AS 16.51.100(8)]. CHAIRMAN PHILLIPS asked about AS 16.51.100(9). MS. TIBBLES explained that subsection established a salmon marketing committee to assist and advise the board in administering the domestic salmon marketing program that is funded through the tax. CHAIRMAN PHILLIPS commented that if subsections (7) through (9) are repealed, all of those functions will go away. MS. TIBBLES said they will in 2004. SENATOR THERRIAULT said ASMI will have to specifically request that those functions be extended before they expire in 2004. MS. LAURA FLEMING, public relations director of ASMI, said ASMI supports the reauthorization of the one percent tax. During hearings in both the House and Senate, that provision had great support from both processors and fishermen. Extending the tax will prevent ASMI from getting "caught midstream" in the middle of a summer season. ASMI supports bringing HB 390 into conformity with the Senate Finance version of SB 282. SENATOR COWDERY moved to adopt Amendment 1, which reads as follows. *Sec.4. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska enacted in sec. 10, ch.55, SLA 1993, as amended by sec.2, ch.111, SLA 1998, is amended to read: Sec.10. AS 16.51.100(7), 16.51.100(8), and 16.51.100(9) are repealed June 30, 2009[2004]. CHAIRMAN PHILLIPS noted that with no objection, Amendment 1 was adopted. SENATOR COWDERY moved to calendar CSHB 390(RLS) with its attached fiscal note at the Chairman's discretion. There being no objection, the motion carried.