Dear UFA Members and Friends,
The pace is picking up and bills and budgets have been moving in the Alaska Legislature.
The House passed the HB 286 Operating budget on Monday 4/2 and Senate finance subcommittees have closed out their departments. Senate Finance committee took public testimony from different regions this morning and this afternoon and will continue to hear budget amendments throughout the coming week.
The joint House and Senate confirmation hearing for governor’s appointees is scheduled for Tuesday April 10 at 11:00 A.M.
HB 199 Salmon habitat permitting bill has a major new version with the removal of the automatic anadromous classification and other changes. We look forward to public testimony scheduled for tomorrow, Monday and Tuesday in House Fisheries.
More details are below and we thank you for your support.
Please support our business members – see links on our website…
To join UFA see https://www.ufafish.org/become-
Contents:
1. Legislation – happenings from this week…
2. Legislative meetings of interest for the week of March 26
3. To testify, watch or listen in to a hearing
4. Bills related to fisheries, and others that may be of interest to fishermen
1. Legislation – happenings from this week…
Board of Fisheries – Senate Resources (Monday) and House Special Committee on Fisheries (Thursday) interviewed Board of Fisheries candidates Al Cain and Orville Huntington on Thursday. Archived video is archived at the committee links above. The House and Senate joint confirmation hearing for the Governor’s appointees is scheduled for Tuesday April 10 at 11:00 A.M. – see schedule below.
HB 199 – Salmon Habitat Permitting – House Fisheries heard an introduction of new version I on Tuesday, then heard the sectional analysis on Thursday. The new version I, summary of changes and sectional analysis are posted on the bill’s documents tab. Public testimony will be heard on Saturday 4/7 beginning at 10:00 A.M. and again on Monday at 6:30 P.M., and Tuesday at 5:30 P.M. Invited testimony is scheduled for Tuesday 4/10 at 10:00 A.M…See schedule below for links to hearings and instructions to testify.
HB 379 Fishermen’s Fund Reimbursement (Ortiz) received a referral to House Finance UFA letter of Support.
HB 354 – Dive fishery management (Ortiz) was passed by the House and will be forwarded to the Senate.
HB 267 (Edgmon) re release of certain records relating to big game hunters, guided hunts, and guided sport fishing activities to municipalities for verification of taxes – was passed by the House on Thursday and will be forwarded to the Senate
SB 92 – (CS Posted) An Act relating to abandoned and derelict vessels; relating to the registration of vessels – was passed by Senate Finance committee and is now in Senate Rules awaiting scheduling for floor vote. Meanwhile, the House companion bill HB 386 is scheduled in House Finance Thursday – see below.
HB 231 re the Alaska Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission (Administration) was heard, amended and passed in House Fisheries today (Friday April 6).” New documents are posted under the documents tab and the new 3rd version of the bill should soon be available at the Bill Text tab of the bill’s home page… look for CSHB 231(FIN)… Meeting link.
HB 76 – Mariculture revolving loan fund and HB 128 – Shellfish Enhancement were both heard and held in Senate Finance on Tuesday (UFA supports both).
HB 129 – Fish and Game offense, licenses, and penalties – was heard with public testimony in House Finance Tuesday…and is scheduled for Monday – see below.
HB 383 – Tourism Marketing Board -was heard for public testimony and passed by House Special Committee on Arctic Policy, Economic Development and Tourism on Wednesday, and is now in Senate Finance.
2. Legislative meetings of interest for this weekend and the week of April 9
Saturday, April 7, 2018
10:00 A.M. House Fisheries special Committee – Room 120
HB 199 – Salmon Habitat permitting – new version- public testimony
Meeting link… Documents… Bill home page for tracking, full text, and documents
Monday, April 9, 2018
9:00 A.M. House Finance Committee – Room 519
HB 129 – Fish and Game offense, licenses, and penalties (Administration)
Meeting link…
4:00 P.M. Senate Resources Committee – Room 205 –
6:30 P.M. House Fisheries committee – Room 124 – Note room change
HB 199 – Salmon Habitat permitting – Public testimony
Meeting link
Tuesday, April 10, 2018
10:00 A.M. House Fisheries special committee – Room 120
HB 199 – Salmon Habitat permitting – invited testimony.
Meeting link
5:30 P.M. House Fisheries committee – Room 120
HB 199 – Salmon Habitat permitting – Public testimony
Wednesday, April 11, 2018
1:00 P.M. House Resources committee – Room 124
Presentation: Arctic Transportation & Resources Strategic Plan by Commissioner Andrew Mack, Dept.
of Natural Resources… Meeting link
Thursday, April 12, 2018
9:00 A.M. House Finance Committee – Room 519
HB 386 Abandoned and Derelict vessels (Seaton – companion to SB 92)
Meeting link… Bill home page for text, tracking, archived meetings and documents
10:00 A.M. House Fisheries special committee – Room 120
No bills scheduled at this time – a meeting may be held for bills previously heard… Meeting link
3:00 P.M. House Health and Social Services committee – Room 106
Presentation: Report on the Potential Health Impacts of Climate Change in AK by the Dept. of
Health & Social Services… Meeting link
3. To testify, watch or listen in to a hearing …To testify it’s best to go to a Legislative Information office – see them online at http://akleg.gov/lios.php . If you can’t get to an LIO you can call in to listen in or testify through the following numbers – call & ask for the specific committee hearing:
From Anchorage based phones call 907-563-9085;
From Juneau based phones or outside Alaska call 907-586-9085;
From other areas of Alaska, call toll-free 844-586-9085…and ask for the specific hearing.
To watch hearings online go to legislative home page at http://w3.akleg.gov/ at the time of the hearing, and click on the “Live Now” tab, and then select the meeting.
To watch floor sessions and other hearings see Gavel to Gavel archives.
To find your legislators and contact info see http://w3.legis.state.ak.us/ – see “WHO REPRESENTS ME?” in the lower right corner of the page.
4. Bills related to fisheries, and others that may be of interest to fishermen…
HCR 8 – Kodiak Seafood and Marine Science Center (House Fisheries – passed House and Senate Committees, now in Senate Rules – UFA Supports)
HJR 12 – Opposing FDA approval of GM Salmon and urging labeling (Tarr – passed House and Senate, awaiting transmittal to the Governor – UFA Supports)
HB 14 – Leg. approval of Bristol Bay sulfide mine (Josephson – now in House Resources – new fiscal notes posted by DEC, DNR & ADFG)
HB 17 – Establishing a fish and game conservation program/account in ADFG (Josephson – now in House Resources)
HB 19 – Ban neonicotinoid pesticides (Drummond – passed House Resources, now in Finance)
SB25 – Motor Fuel Tax – Senate Rules by Request of the Governor (Senate Finance)
HB 29 – Prohibiting sale of genetically modified fish/fish products (Tarr – House Fisheries)
HB 32 – Relating to the labeling of food; relating to the misbranding of food; requiring labeling of food produced with genetic engineering (Tarr- House Resources – UFA Supports)
HB 42 – Relating to seizure of property; relating to forfeiture to the state – includes language on seizure of fishing permits (Wilson – House Finance)
HB 46 – Procure AK Fish, Ag Prod.; Raw Milk Sales (Tarr – House Finance)
HB 56 – Relating to limitations on certain commercial fishing loans (Ortiz – Passed House – now in Senate Finance – UFA Supports)
& companion bill:
SB 71 – Relating to limitations on certain commercial fishing loans (Stevens –Senate Finance – UFA Supports)
HB 60 – Motor Fuel Tax (House Rules by Request of the Governor –now in House Finance)
SB 89 – Shellfish Enhancement Hatcheries (Stevens – now in Senate Finance – UFA Supports)
HB 128 – Companion bill (Ortiz – passed House and now in Senate Finance – UFA Supports)
SB 95 – Mariculture revolving loan fund (Stevens – Senate Finance – UFA Supports)
HB 76 – House companion bill – (Ortiz – passed House and now in Senate Finance – UFA Supports)
HB 87 – Board of Fisheries and Board of Game – Conflict of Interest (Stutes –passed House, now in Senate State Affairs – UFA Supports)
HB 88 – Board of Fisheries Membership (Rep. Stutes – now in House Fisheries)
SB 92 – (CS Posted) An Act relating to abandoned and derelict vessels; relating to the registration of vessels; relating to certificates of title for vessels; relating to the duties of the Department of Administration; relating to the duties of the Department of Natural Resources; establishing the derelict vessel prevention program; establishing the derelict vessel prevention program fund; and providing for an effective date.” (Micciche – CS passed Senate Resources – now in Senate Finance)
& House companion
HB 386 – (Seaton – passed House Fisheries and now in House Finance)
HB 107 – Fisheries enhancement permit – egg & unfed fry enhancement in same waters (Talerico – House Resources)
SB 115 – “An Act relating to the Alaska Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission; and providing for an effective date.” (Administration – Senate State Affairs)
HB 231 – “An Act relating to the Alaska Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission; and providing for an effective date.” (Administration –Passed House Fisheries, now in House Finance – UFA Supports)
HB 129 – Fish and Game offense, licenses, and penalties (Administration – Passed House Resources and Judiciary committees and was given an additional referral, currently in House Finance)
SB 60 – Companion bill passed (Administration -now in Senate Judiciary)
HB 149 – Board of Fisheries five year cycle (Chenault – House Fisheries – UFA Supports)
HB 155 – AK Mental Health Land Exchange (Ortiz –House Finance)
SB 173 –”An Act relating to the liability of a person or the state for the release of certain pesticides during application on a utility pole.” (Micciche – passed S. Resources and now in S. Judiciary)
HB 173 – Climate Change Commission (Josephson – now in House resources)
HB 177 – Invasive Species (Tarr–House Finance)
HB 188 – Regional permit banks (Kreiss–Tomkins – passed House Fisheries, now in House Labor and Commerce)
HB 199 – Salmon Habitat permitting (Stutes – House Fisheries – New CS version I)
HB 237 – Salmon Escapement Goals (Neuman – House Fisheries)
HB 354 – Dive Fishery management (Ortiz – passed House committees and in House Rules awaiting floor vote – UFA Supports)
HB 379 – Fishermen’s Fund reimbursement (Ortiz – passed House committees and in House Rules awaiting floor vote – UFA Supports)
SB 210 – Mislabeling by retail food establishments (Wielechowski – Senate Judiciary – UFA Supports)
SB 211 – “An Act relating to the temporary transfer of limited entry commercial fishing permits; and providing for an effective date.” (Stevens, referred to Resources and Finance committees)
HJR 35 –Urging Co-Management Plan for Sea Otters (Millett – House Community and Regional Affairs – UFA Supports)
SJR 13: – Urging Co-Management Plan for Sea Otters (Stedman – Passed the Senate and now in House Resources – UFA Supports)
SJR 3 – Urging the President of the United States and the United States Congress to mitigate the harm done to the state’s seafood industry because of the withdrawal of the United States from the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement; and urging the President of the United States and the United States Congress to work to benefit and protect the state’s seafood industry (Senator Wielechowski –Senate State Affairs – UFA Supports)
HCR 25 – Requesting the Governor to establish an office of outdoor access and recreation…
Compiled by UFA staff and made possible by the support of our Group, Business, Individual and Crew members.
To join UFA see https://www.ufafish.org/become-
ufa@ufa-fish.org
PO Box 20229
Juneau AK 99802
(907) 586-2820