UFA Legislative Update: April 27, 2018

Dear UFA Members and Friends,

We apologize we didn’t get a legislative update out last Friday.  We were too busy at the legislature with our eyes on HB 231- the CFEC Restructuring bill that was amended and attached to SB 37- a senate pharmacy board bill. The amendments made to HB 231 were significant enough that it garnered our attention and we worked hard alerting members and member groups of these changes. In short, SB 37 as amended would have removed the position of the CFEC Executive Director and also put the commissioners on unequal footing for pay. After two attempts on the house floor last week to amend or pass the bill out, an amended version was passed on Monday that keeps the Executive Director role as a possibility and put the commissioners on equal pay. The bill received concurrence in the senate to the new changes and is awaiting transmittal to the governor.
The legislature is winding down and we got word there would be no more Fisheries Committee hearings for the rest of session unless something comes up.  There are a few bills still being heard and moving in committees, but it is evident that things are coming to a halt soon.

-Frances Leach, Executive Director

Please support our business members – see links on our website
To join UFA see https://www.ufafish.org/become-a-member/


Contents:
1. Legislation – happenings from this week…
2. Legislative meetings of interest for next week
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 and last week on fisheries bills:

HB 231 – was combined with SB 37 in House Rules committee on Mondaymorning April 16, with new amendments that would enshrine in statute a differential pay among the two commissioners and eliminate the executive director with those duties assigned to the chair commissioner. It was debated on the floor Monday April 18, and held through the week before it was further amended and passed on Monday, April 23.  With Senate concurrence on Tuesday, the bill as passed will keep the commissioners at the same pay and assign executive director duties to the chair commissioner to when the executive director position is vacant. The final version passed is HCS CSSB 37(RLS) am H.

HB 354 – Dive fishery management (Ortiz) was moved out of Senate Resources committee on Monday, April 16 and is now in Senate Rules awaiting scheduling for floor vote.

SB 92 –An Act relating to abandoned and derelict vessels; relating to the registration of vessels (Micciche) – was passed by House Finance committee on April 17 and is now in House Rules awaiting scheduling for floor vote. Current version is HCS CSSB 92(FIN).

HB 267 re release of certain records relating to big game hunters, guided hunts, and guided sport fishing activities to municipalities for verification of taxes (Edgmon)  – passed from Senate Finance Monday 4/23 and currently in Senate Rules awaiting scheduling for the Senate floor..

SB135 Cook Inlet Setnet Buyback (Micciche)…was heard and held in Senate Resources on April 18.

HB 177: Aquatic Invasive Species was amended with new definitions of invasive moved from House Finance April 20, and is now in Rules committee awaiting scheduling for House floor vote. Current version is CSHB 177(FIN)

HB 56 Commercial Fishing Loan Limits and HB 76 Mariculture Loan funds (Ortiz) were scheduled and held in Senate Finance this morning. The committee had lengthy Q&A on all of the Division of Economic Development loan programsduring a presentation by division director Britteny Cioni-Haywood, and related white paper. The committee asked for more detail regarding the long term accomplishments and delinquencies of all of the funds before the three bills related to the loan programs that are before the committee will advance. Hearing video and documents.

House Resources heard a presentation this afternoon: Past & Projected Mat-Su Salmon Returns & Fishing Opportunities,  by Dept. of Fish Game Staff… Presentations by ADFGVideo.


2. Legislative meetings of interest for the week of April 30 – Most committees are working on bills previously heard with short notice, with schedules shifting to accommodate floor sessions. Check the daily House and Senate floor schedulesand  committee schedule .


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…with primary sponsor and current committee.

Bills Passed:
HJR 19 – Arctic Marine Safety Agreements (Lincoln) – Passed House and Senate and awaiting transmittal to the governor. Final version is Enrolled HJR 19.

SB 37 – Boards of Pharmacy and Commercial Fishery Entry Commission – Includes amended language from HB 231 CFEC bill – Passed House and Senate and awaiting transmittal to the governor.

HJR 12 – Opposing FDA approval of GM Salmon and urging labeling (Tarr – passed House and Senate, awaiting transmittal to the Governor – UFA Supports)

Others:

HCR 8  – Kodiak Seafood and Marine Science Center (House Fisheries – passed House and Senate Committees, now in Senate Rules – 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 Rules – 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 – now in House Finance)
&
HB 386 – Derelict vessels House companion (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 –House Rules – UFA Supports)

HB 129 – Fish and Game offense, licenses, and penalties (Administration – Passed House committees and now in Rules)
&
SB 60  – Companion bill passed (Administration -now in Senate Judiciary)

SB135 – Cook Inlet Setnet Buyback (Micciche – Senate Resources)

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 – now in House Rules)

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 260 – Electronic Licensing for Sport Fishing and Hunting (Saddler – currently in House Rules committee)

HB 237 – Salmon Escapement Goals (Neuman – House Fisheries)

HB 354 – Dive Fishery management (Ortiz – Senate Resources – 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-a-member/

ufa@ufa-fish.org
PO Box 20229
Juneau AK 99802
(907) 586-2820