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Committee fixes seafood-dealer bill to restore intended exemptions for small commercial fishers
Summary
The Ports, Waterways & Intermodal Transit Committee approved House Bill 39 to correct a coding error in last year's law, reinstating the full section intended and exempting commercial shrimpers, oystermen, crabbers and hook-and-line and net fishermen from a fee increase; the bill received a favorable report.
Chairman Brown told the committee that House Bill 39 corrects an error in last year’s legislation and creates a seafood marketing plan to be administered by Sweet Grown Alabama.
"What we're doing here is house bill 39... it creates a seafood marketing plan, that's administered by Sweet Grown Alabama," Chairman Brown said, and added that a drafting omission had left only part of the intended code language in the enacted measure.
Brown explained the bill restores the full code section that was meant to be included and that the correction exempts commercial shrimpers, oystermen, crabbers, and hook-and-line and net fishermen from an intended fee increase.
Representative Hollis moved for a favorable report and Representative Stringer seconded. The committee approved HB39 for a favorable report by voice vote.
Why it matters: the change is intended to align the statutory text with the legislature’s prior intent and to shield small commercial seafood dealers from a fee increase they were not intended to bear.
Next steps: HB39 advances from committee with a favorable report to the next stage of consideration.
